Uzbekistan takes active part in international efforts to ensure development in Afghanistan

Uzbekistan is rendering constant and feasible assistance in restoration of the social and economic complex of Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan took an active part in the project on restoration of a highway Mazari- Sharif - Kabul. In particular, the Uzbek experts on the specified route put in operation 11 bridges, which have provided uninterrupted cargo communication of the northern provinces with Kabul.

At present Uzbekistan and Afghanistan maintain active economic cooperation, in particular, in such spheres as transport and communications, transit, power, trade and etc.

Uzbek side initiated signing the tripartite Agreement on creation of the International Trans-Afghani transport corridor. The document, aimed at restoring an infrastructure of Afghanistan, was signed within the framework of the official visit of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to Tehran on June 17-18 2003.

For increasing the volumes of cargo transportations the Governments of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan and Asian Development Bank signed the Memorandum of Understanding on building «Hayraton-Mazari Sharif-Herat» railway as part of the Trans-Afghan transport corridor. It was signed on 20 November 2008 in Baku within the framework of the 7th Ministerial Conference of the Program of ADB CAREC (Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation).

On 20 February 2009 Tashkent hosted 1st session of Uzbek-Afghan joint working group on projecting and building «Hayraton-Mazari-Sharif-Herat» railway with participation of ADB. The event was held in the course of implementation of the MoU between the Governments of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and ADB.

ADB intends to allocate $1,8m for work on project feasibility study after which, according to rules and procedures of ADB, international tender on building railway line «Hayraton-Mazari – Sharif» will be carried out.

It is estimated that overall extent of a railway line «Hayraton-Mazari–Sharif» will make 73-75 km.

Estimated cost of 1520 mm track-width will make $175-180 million, timeframe for completion of work – 45 months, and 1435 mm track-width - $250-270 million, duration of work 72 - months.

In June 2009 in Hayraton (Afghanistan) the working meeting of delegation «Uzbekistan Rail Ways» led by chairman A.Ramatov with the Afghan delegation led by Minister of Trade V. Shahrani took place.

During the meeting the two sides discussed the issues related to transit of cargoes to Afghanistan through Uzbekistan, and also the project of building of railway “Termez - Mazari- Sharif” through Hayraton in which the Uzbek side stands as a basic contractor.
In order to ensure the effectiveness of the international assistance to Afghanistan in December 2002 the Government of Uzbekistan adopted decision on opening the bridge “Hayraton” on Uzbek-Afghan border, which is a unique railway communication with Afghanistan.

On 9 November 2003 the "Ayritom" customs complex in Termez was put into operation. For the past period the volume of transportations of humanitarian and various cargoes through "Ayritom" has made more than 6,5 million tons.

Currently practical realization of arrangements on transit of not military cargoes of the USA and the NATO through Uzbekistan to Afghanistan is under way.

From the beginning of 2002 Uzbekistan restored electricity supply to Afghanistan. In 2007 Uzbekistan exported to Afghanistan 20 mVt. of electric power and accordingly in 2008 24 mVt.

On 8-12 November 2006 Afghanistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Muhammad Ismailhan and Head of the Ministry of Economics Muhammad Djalil Shams visited Uzbekistan. During the visit an agreement was reached on increasing deliveries of the electricity to Afghanistan to 70 mVt. and in the longer perspective to 300 mVt.

A cooperation document between the "Uzbekenergo" and the Department of Energy and Water Resources of Afghanistan was signed in June 2007 in Tashkent. The document defined the concrete directions of cooperation on increase of volumes of electricity deliveries to 300 mVt.

Following the negotiations the two sides also agreed on studying the issues on creating joint venture for maintenance service of a new electricity transmission line and preparation of the Afghan experts in this field.

Since 26 January 2009 electricity from Uzbekistan started to arrive in Kabul through the electricity transmission line-220 «Hayraton-Puli-Humri-Kabul».

In 2008 Uzbekistan exported to Afghanistan 24 mVt. of electric power.

After commissioning in January 2009 of electricity transmission line -220 “Hayraton-Puli Humri-Kabul” the delivery volume of electricity to Afghanistan for January-April of 2009 reached 56 mVt.

On 18 May 2009 on sub-station "Chantala" (suburb of Kabul) took place a ceremony of commissioning power unit transferring to Kabul 150 mVt. Electricity from the sub-stations "Surhan" (Uzbekistan).

By the end of 2009 electricity supply from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan is planned to increase to 150 mVt, and subsequently to 300 mVt.

In 2008 Uzbekistan and Afghanistan launched active cooperation in the sphere of optic-fiber communication. According to the Afghan side, this direction is the most favorable and effective. Uzbekistan has serious business reputation in Afghanistan for its high quality experts.

By now all works on 1538 km-long cable lining to the border with Uzbekistan have been accomplished. 9 of total 32 communication centers, which Afghanistan intends to construct on all extent of a cable line to Uzbekistan, have been established.

Official ceremony of opening of an optic-fiber communication line connecting Uzbekistan and Afghanistan took place in July 2009 in Hayraton.

Information agency "Jahon"