Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund Meets with the President of Uzbekistan

Today, July 3, 2025, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in the city of Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed political and economic relations, railway connectivity, trade, transit, and electricity.

At the outset, Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund thanked the Republic of Uzbekistan for its positive and realistic stance on Afghanistan at the international level and expressed the desire for lasting good relations between the two neighboring countries.

The Deputy PM stated: “Currently, the trade volume between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan has surpassed one billion dollars, indicating a 60% increase compared to previous figures. We hope this volume will reach two billion dollars in the near future.”

He called on the Uzbek side to facilitate the export of Afghan goods to Central Asia and Russia through Uzbekistan. He emphasized that both neighboring countries need to cooperate in ensuring economic stability, infrastructural development, and prosperity by initiating and managing projects related to mining, transport, transit, services, regional infrastructure, and foundational development.

Following this, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the meeting. He noted that with the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan has seen progress in various sectors. He added that Uzbekistan has conveyed the true realities of Afghanistan on international platforms and is working to present these realities to the global community, especially the United Nations.

President Mirziyoyev also stated that his country is prepared to invest in various sectors in Afghanistan, including the Mazar-e-Sharif–Herat–Kandahar railway project, establishment of textile factories, cement production, oil refinery construction, salt mining and processing, electronic governance, and other areas.

He further stated that Uzbekistan is ready to increase the amount of imported electricity to Afghanistan following the swift completion of the 500-kilovolt power transmission line project.

President Mirziyoyev added that he will issue special directives to facilitate the export of Afghan goods, particularly agricultural products, to Central Asia and Russia via Uzbekistan. He also emphasized improving banking transactions between the two countries, issuance of visas for Afghan nationals, and facilitating the sale of Afghan goods at the Termez International Trade Center, along with its further development.

Additionally, both parties agreed to establish and strengthen dedicated channels to initiate practical work on the discussed matters.

Finally, the two sides agreed to form a joint group led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund on behalf of Afghanistan and by the PM of Uzbekistan on behalf of his country. This joint group will convene every three months to assess the progress and implementation of the agreements through designated committees.