A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan has said during its visit to Kabul that it wants to send its technical team to Kabul to discuss the purchase of one million tons of coal from Afghanistan.
The delegation, which included the Minister of Transport Ilkhom Mahkamov, and Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, stated this in a meeting with Amir Khan Motaqqi, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, the two sides discussed bilateral political and economic relations, regional connectivity, transit projects, trade, joint investment, and the role and importance of transit between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Muttaqi said that Afghanistan has returned to the path of peace and stability after a long time, and this is a good opportunity for Uzbekistan, other neighbors and the region to take advantage of the Islamic Emirate’s economy-oriented regional connectivity policy.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s transport minister Mahkamov stated that this time he is visiting Kabul with a strong technical team, which consists of representatives of the private sector, railway, geological and mining engineers.
He said that Uzbekistan supports the policy of the Islamic Emirate, which wants Afghanistan to become the transit hub of the region.
He pointed out that he has brought a team of engineers with him to start the practical work and feasibility studies of the Trans-Afghan railway project, and another team will visit Afghanistan this week with equipment.
Mahkamov said that Uzbekistan is ready to provide customs and border services 24 hours a day and reduce tariffs.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Irgashev, stated that his country is now issuing long-term visas for truck drivers and traders, and it will extend to education, health and tourism visas.
He added that Uzbek engineers will travel to Afghanistan in the near future for the purpose of starting the construction of Imam Bukhari madrasa in Mazar-e-Sharif.
According to him, Uzbekistan is ready to work jointly with the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan over the restoration of historical sites and shrines.
