The Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan announced the cancellation of restrictions imposed on the country’s transit vehicles in Afghanistan.
Based on the ministry’s statement, this understanding was reached in a meeting between high-ranking officials of the Islamic Emirate and Uzbekistan.
It is also stated that the transportation authorities of both countries have determined the costs of international road transportation in each other’s territory on an equal basis starting from 2024.
“This type of communication, exchanges and commercial and economic agreements can benefit both countries, can create jobs and can be very useful for crediting national and commercial relations,” said Ahmad Ferdaws Behguzin, an economic expert.
The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan said that the purpose of this memorandum is to create more facilities for export and import between the two countries.
The spokesman of the ministry said that during the visit of the head of this ministry to Uzbekistan, agreements were reached in the field of transportation and transit cooperation between the two countries.
Imamuddin Ahmadi, the spokesman of the ministry, said: “They allow Afghan trucks to enter Uzbekistan. They give visas to our businessmen and drivers, a discussion has been held with them regarding visas and they have accepted that they will start visas and will make it easier, and in the same way their cargo vehicles can come to Afghanistan and cargo vehicles of Afghanistan can travel to the territory of Uzbekistan and from there to other places, and an understanding has been reached in this regard.”
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that Afghan merchants transit their goods to Kazakhstan, China and Russia from Uzbekistan, and it is necessary to provide facilities in this regard.
“Uzbekistan has many facilities and we want to increase our transit and exports through Uzbekistan. We export our talc and marble mines to China and we face problems through the Karachi way, therefore, this way should be activated,” said Khan Jan Alokozay, a member of the ACCI’s board of directors.
Earlier, the Acting Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation said that this ministry is trying to turn Afghanistan into a transit crossroads by creating a regular system.
The ministry also added that for the first time, four countries including India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan were connected through transit. A delegation from Uzbekistan comprised of the country’s special envoy for Afghanistan and governor of Surkhandarya of Uzbekistan arrived in Balkh on Thursday.
According to the meeting officials, the participants discussed economic and trade development as well as transit and challenges in the visa process.
“All Afghan officials and traders want to have good relations with the neighboring countries. We want to have relations with Uzbekistan,” said Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, provincial governor.—Tolonews
