Afghan, Uzbek Traders Sign Over $20 Million Cooperation MoU

Delegations from the private sectors of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed a cooperation agreement valued at over $20 million during a joint trade meeting held in Kabul on Sunday, The Caspian Post informs citing the ATN News.

Speaking at the event, Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, emphasized the need to expand trade between the private sectors of both nations.

“Trade and economic relations between Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries - especially the Republic of Uzbekistan - have reached an unprecedented level, rarely seen in history,” Azizi said.

He noted that continued efforts by the private sector must lead to increased trade volumes and an improved trade balance.

Meanwhile, Oybek Osmanov, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Kabul, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to enhancing bilateral trade.

“We are prepared to increase the volume of trade to $2 billion in the coming years,” he stated.

Sayed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), urged both governments to provide greater consular support for businesspeople.

“Unless long-term, multiple-entry business visas and other essential consular services are made available, we will not witness broad expansion in trade,” he said. “We also call on the respective authorities to expedite the signing of the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.”

Bahodir Toshmatov, Head of the Uzbekistan Exporters’ Chamber, also welcomed the meeting: “Trade relations between our two countries are expanding day by day. We’ve signed many commercial agreements under this partnership. This meeting is aimed at identifying new avenues for further engagement between the private sectors of both nations.”

The event was organized by the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment and brought together business leaders and traders from both countries. ACCI officials also noted that the establishment of a regional joint chamber could help link Afghanistan to European markets. They urged the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to give serious attention to this strategic opportunity.