Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to Further Strengthen Economic, Transit and Cultural Ties

Mr. Nodir Sobirovich Otajonov, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan who led the Uzbekistan Delegation and H.E. Prof. Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi, Acting Minister of Finance and Chief Advisor on Infrastructure to H.E. the President, c-chaired the joint economic, transit and cultural meeting between the two countries held in Kabul dated August 22, 2019.  The Uzbek Delegation was invited by Minister Qayoumi to visit Afghanistan.

In the meeting which the representatives of government relevant departments of the two countries were present, Acting Minister of Finance, besides welcoming the Uzbek delegation, briefed the achievements of inter-governmental commission between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and its role in boosting economic and trade ties.

He said "Afghanistan has good investment opportunities and bed in the areas of  railway and road construction, agriculture, oil and gas extraction, semi-precious stones, textile and vegetable oil production, we ask Uzbekistan to invest in these sector that is why it has enough experience, he added”.

Likewise, in the meeting, the parties fully discussed furthering strengthening economic and trade ties between two countries, trilateral memorandum of understanding were agreed,  between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, construction of Kabul ring road, Qaisar Laman and Kabul – Sorkh Rod, cooperation on agriculture sector specially purchase of Afghan cotton and horticulture, providing 200 scholarship for Afghan students in Bachelor, Master’s and Ph.D. Programs in Uzbekistan Universities, signing bilateral MoU on midterm and long term cooperation on academic, cultural and infrastructural sectors, Uzbekistan’s technical cooperation on establishing 5 tailoring (sewing) factories all over the country, mutual cooperation on land transit particularly railway, decrease the rate of tariff and transit  along  China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan railway, cooperation on textile sector and other relevant issues and signed the MoU.

Additionally, the Uzbek Delegation, besides visiting Bagh-e-Babor Museum, went to Qala-e-Ekteyarddin, Amir Ali Sher Nawayee Tomb and Gowharshad Begom Tomb in Herat to pray to their souls. 

At the end, Government officials have called for deeper cultural cooperation, including sending cultural and artistic teams and launching more social and artistic programs between the two countries, referring to the deep cultural commonalities  between Herat Province and the ancient cities of Uzbekistan.