KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) says 20 trade agreements worth $267 million have been signed in various sectors during a business meeting between representatives of Afghanistan’s private sector and Uzbekistan’s Kashkadarya province.
The business-to-business meeting between representatives of Afghanistan’s private sector and Kashkadarya was held on Saturday evening (Aug. 30), attended by Mawlawi Ahmadullah Zahid, deputy minister of industry and commerce; Shukhrat Muradov, deputy governor of Kashkadarya; Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Kabul; and a number of traders and investors from both countries.
The MoCI said in a statement that the meetings resulted in the signing of 20 trade agreements worth $267 million covering food products, textiles, construction materials, livestock, electronic equipment and furniture.
According to the statement, Mawlawi Ahmadullah Zahid said at the conference that Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, besides being neighbours, had significant economic potential.
He added that following visits by delegations from both countries, economic ties and bilateral trade had increased.
He stressed the need to simplify trade and transit procedures and remove existing barriers to bilateral commerce.
He said Afghanistan had significant potential in agriculture, mining, trade and investment, while Uzbekistan had strong capabilities in industry and machinery manufacturing.
Zahid said linking the economic capacities of the two countries would benefit both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
He described transit as important for Afghanistan and said the MoCI was working to facilitate trade for the private sectors of both countries.
He added that the ministry was ready to negotiate the transit of Afghan export goods through Uzbekistan.
The statement quoted Shukhrat Muradov, deputy governor of Kashkadarya, as providing information about the province’s trade and industrial potential and saying Kashkadarya was ready to host delegations from the Islamic Emirate and Afghan traders.
He also expressed the province’s readiness to facilitate the transit of Afghan exports to Uzbekistan and other countries.
Aryan Azimi, deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, also spoke about trade relations between the two countries, mutual delegation visits and the impact of business meetings on increasing bilateral trade, according to the statement.
hz/sa
