The second meeting of the Joint Commission on Trade, Transport and Energy between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has given the opportunity to discuss augmentation of the bilateral trade and the agenda for forthcoming contacts in 2017.
The first meeting of the Commission was held April 20, 2015, in Tashkent. The current meeting, which took place on the eve of the New Year in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, was attended by Humayun Kayumi, senior adviser to the Afghan President. From the Uzbek side the event was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, Elyor Ganiev.
Speaking about the economic potential of Uzbekistan, Kayumi praised the reforms implemented in the country to diversify the various sectors of the economy and modernize the manufacturing industry. He expressed satisfaction with the consistent advancement of cooperation based on mutual trust and interest. A special role, according to the chairman of the delegation of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan plays in rehabilitation and further development of the Afghan economy through the realization of infrastructure projects.
Singling out the priority areas of mutually advantageous dialogue, Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Afghanistan, Amanullah Ghalib, focused on trade, energy, agriculture, transport and infrastructure projects. “Afghanistan can become a bridge between the countries of Central and South Asia, – A.Galib said. – Our plans for the next five years is to become from an energy-importing nation to a transit area through which these products will be delivered to other countries. Thus, the Afghan government is considering today’s event not only as one more step towards strengthening the trade and economic relations, but also to provide for security in the region that would deliver the times when the new generations of our peoples will live in peace and stability.”
fact
In 2015, the volume of trade turnover amounted to $ 444.5 million, and the figure reached $ 429 million for the 10 months of 2016.