Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed 22 trade memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth more than $200 million during the Afghan-Uzbek Business Forum held in Kabul, as the two countries pledged to expand economic cooperation and boost bilateral trade.
The forum brought together Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev, Afghanistan’s ministers of Mines and Transport, the governors of Uzbekistan’s Fergana and Tashkent regions, business leaders, and representatives of the private sector from both countries.
Azizi said relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan had reached a new high following the visit of a high-level Uzbek delegation accompanied by around 300 private-sector representatives.He said both countries aim to increase bilateral trade to $5 billion, adding that achieving this goal would require closer economic and commercial cooperation.
Azizi also highlighted investment opportunities in Afghanistan, saying the return of Afghan migrants has increased the need for job creation. He encouraged investors from both countries to invest in Afghanistan.
The minister said about 10,000 tonnes of Afghan cotton had already been exported to Uzbekistan on a trial basis and announced that Uzbekistan has committed to purchasing 100,000 tonnes of Afghan cotton.
Khodjayev described Afghanistan as a country undergoing significant development through major infrastructure projects.