TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 8. Afghanistan has offered Uzbekistan to invest in oil and gas production in the country, Trend reports.
The news followed a meeting between a delegation headed by Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Alhaj Noor Uddin Azizi with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Mining industry and Geology Bobir Islamov.
During the meeting, Bobir Islamov emphasized the close cooperation between the two countries in various mining sectors and expressed readiness to sign an investment protection agreement between the two countries.
He also spoke about the establishment of two large factories in Uzbekistan for copper processing, stating that these factories have an urgent need for raw materials, which can be met by the exploration and extraction of copper from Afghanistan.
Alhaj Noor Uddin Azizi stated that Uzbekistan should invest in oil and gas mines in northern Afghanistan, as the proximity of the route and easy access to regional markets would be more beneficial for Uzbekistan from a logistical standpoint.
He also suggested to the Uzbek side to invest in the copper mines of Ghazni and Herat provinces and in the establishment of processing factories for mineral materials in Afghanistan.
Atthe end of the meeting, the sides decided that an official delegation from Uzbekistan would travel to Afghanistan for surveys and technical work in coordination with the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s trade turnover volume with Afghanistan amounted to $308.6 million from January through April 2024.