Officials from both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, along with private sector representatives, have expressed optimism about significantly expanding bilateral trade and investment. Uzbek and Afghan entrepreneurs signed 45 agreements worth a total of $20 mln.
Nuruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, said the country is actively working to increase its trade volume with Uzbekistan to $3 bn, stressing the need for a balanced approach to imports and exports.
«We must raise the ceiling of our trade and reinforce our commercial commitments. We should focus on expanding exports and not remain only importers,» Azizi noted.
Call for Regional Economic Integration and Practical Trade Support
Mohammad Younus Momand, First Deputy at the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), advocated for the creation of a regional joint chamber, linking Afghanistan with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
Sayed Karim Hashemi, head of the ACCI, highlighted that the deepening trade relationship with Uzbekistan presents a valuable chance to attract more investment. He welcomed the preferential trade agreements recently signed between the two countries but warned that progress will stall without improved consular services, particularly visa facilitation.
«Without streamlined visa procedures, trade growth will remain limited despite the agreements,» Hashemi said.
Aybek Usmanov, Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Kabul, reaffirmed his country’s interest in strengthening economic cooperation, noting a threefold increase in trade between the two nations this year.
«In the first half of the year, Afghan exports to Uzbekistan rose by 300%,» he said.
At the close of the meeting, representatives from both public and private sectors called for simplified visa issuance, preferential tariffs, joint trade chambers, and stronger frameworks to support investors. They also stressed the need for better mechanisms to ensure effective implementation of commercial agreements.
Kursiv also reports that Taliban officials say efforts to recover aircraft flown to Uzbekistan during the 2021 collapse have failed.
