BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 22
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
The dynamics of mutual cargo transportation between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan demonstrates steady growth rates against the background of a global decline in international trade, Trend reports citing Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade.
On October 20 of this year, an expanded meeting of the heads of ministries and departments of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan took place in Kabul, during which the parties expressed mutual readiness to build a multifaceted partnership between the two states with an emphasis on the spheres of industrial cooperation, trade, transport and energy.
The sides discussed the existing prerequisites for further expansion and diversification of industrial cooperation via the development and implementation of new joint projects in textile, food, leather and footwear industries, production of automotive and agricultural machinery, food and construction materials.
Practical issues related to the implementation of already launched projects to modernize a number of industrial enterprises in Afghanistan were also considered.
The parties outlined the positive trends in the development of mutual trade. Only in 1H2020 there was a 24 percent increase in trade turnover achieved compared to the same period last year.
In this context, the parties also noted ample opportunities for further building up mutual trade through the full use of the economic potential of the two countries.
The volume of traffic by rail and road between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan increased by 47 percent for 9M2020, which indicates a significant potential for further strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in the transport and logistics sector through coordinated actions to optimize the system of regulation of bilateral passenger and freight traffic and the implementation of joint infrastructure projects.
During the meeting, an agreement was signed between Afghanistan and the Asian Development Bank to finance the construction of power transmission line between Uzbekistan’s Surkhan and Afghanistan’s Puli – Khumri, providing for the allocation of $110 million.
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