The first meeting of the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Trade Council was held on 26 March at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, with the participation of the heads of the chambers of commerce and council members from both countries, TOLOnews reported.
According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, during the meeting, an agreement on the structure of the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Trade Council was signed by the heads of the chambers of commerce of the two countries.
The President of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment described the establishment of the council as a “practical mechanism” for addressing challenges, accelerating cooperation, and transforming existing capacities into real economic opportunities.
Sayed Karim Hashemi stated: “The establishment of this council can serve as a driving force in developing economic relations between the two countries and pave the way for increasing bilateral trade, facilitating market access, expanding cooperation in key sectors such as transit, energy, agriculture, and industry, and creating joint value chains.”
During the meeting, Davron Vakhabov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, welcomed the establishment of the council, describing it as an important step toward institutionalizing economic cooperation between the two countries.
Vakhabov expressed hope that trade volume between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan would increase from $1.68 billion to $5 billion in the coming years.
He also emphasized the need to create more facilities for traders, hold regular trade exhibitions up to four times a year, and establish representative offices of chambers of commerce in the provinces of both countries.
