A high-ranking delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund returned to Kabul after a two-day visit to Uzbekistan

A high-ranking delegation of the Islamic Emirate, led by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, which included several cabinet members and representatives of sectoral agencies, returned to Kabul this afternoon, February 23, 2025, after a two-day visit to Uzbekistan.

Speaking to the media at Kabul International Airport, the Deputy Prime Minister described the visit as fruitful and said that during the trip, he met with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, the Deputy Prime Minister, and officials from various institutions. He stated that significant discussions and progress were made in areas such as agriculture, electricity, transport, trade, and railway development.

Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund highlighted that the contract for the 500-kilovolt power transmission project, initially valued at $252 million, was reduced to $222 million after negotiations with Uzbekistan. Regarding railway development, he announced that Uzbekistan’s technical railway teams would soon visit Afghanistan to conduct preliminary studies on extending the railway from Hairatan to Herat. Once these studies are completed—funded by Uzbekistan—the implementation phase of the railway project will begin.

He further stated that Uzbekistan has agreed to lift restrictions on Afghan agricultural exports, which will lead to an increase in Afghanistan’s agricultural exports to Uzbekistan.

Regarding the import of electricity from Uzbekistan, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that an agreement had been reached to increase the electricity supply and reduce tariffs in the coming year.