KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced that Afghanistan’s private sector and traders from Namangan province in Uzbekistan have signed cooperation agreements worth $514.8 million, covering a wide range of economic and industrial sectors. The agreements were finalized on the sidelines of a business and trade connectivity conference between the two sides.
According to the ministry, the agreements include projects such as the establishment of a poultry farm in Afghanistan, import and export of cement and coal, trade in beans, lentils, asphalt, dried fruits, and vegetables, as well as imports of oil, petrol, tar, copper, and other food products. Additionally, the agreements cover the export of non-alcoholic beverages, sports services, and the production of laying hens.
A delegation of traders and investors from Namangan, led by the provincial governor, arrived in Kabul yesterday to meet with Taliban officials and discuss the development of economic cooperation. The delegation is also scheduled to visit Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, where an exhibition showcasing Uzbek products and industrial goods will be inaugurated in Mazar-i-Sharif.
The conference and trade meetings were held in the presence of Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Taliban, Mr. Shukhrat Abdulrazakov, Governor of Namangan province, and other officials including the Chairman of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, representatives from Uzbek government and private sector delegations, and leaders of Afghanistan’s private sector.
Minister Azizi highlighted Afghanistan’s commitment to economic collaboration with Uzbekistan and praised the goodwill and cooperation of Uzbek authorities. He emphasized investment opportunities in Afghanistan and described the country as a reliable partner in trade, investment, and economic relations. He also mentioned that preferential tariffs had been agreed upon for eight categories of goods from Afghanistan and six from Uzbekistan, and that Uzbekistan had approved all eight Afghan items for export.
Governor Abdulrazakov provided details on the industrial and production activities of Namangan province and underscored that Uzbekistan’s president views peace and stability in Afghanistan as directly linked to peace and stability in Uzbekistan. He stated that over 40 prominent traders and investors from Namangan’s 40,000-strong business community were participating in the delegation. He described the conference as not only a step toward strengthening economic relations but also a means of reinforcing cultural and spiritual ties.
At the conference, Syed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Namangan, officially signed agreements worth $514.8 million covering the various sectors mentioned above, signaling a significant expansion of bilateral trade and investment initiatives.
Uzbekistan officials and Taliban leaders held meetings in the months leading up to the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. After the Taliban took power, they quickly reached business agreements, and the Taliban pledged that Afghanistan territory would never be used to launch an attack on a neighboring country.
Although Uzbekistan has not officially recognized Taliban rule, it has maintained close ties with the regime. It has kept its embassy in Kabul open and transferred the Afghan embassy in Tashkent to Taliban diplomats. In recent years, the two sides have also signed several agreements, including a $1.2 billion trade deal finalized in late 2023.
