Bilateral Trade - The Times Of Central Asia

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Afghan Businesses to Hold Exhibition in Almaty

An exhibition of Afghan businesses is scheduled to open in Almaty as part of the Kazakhstan-Afghanistan Business Forum, Orda.kz reports. Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Trade originally planned to hold the event at the end of August, but the dates were pushed back by two months. The forum, organized by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Commerce, will now be held on October 22 and will be a meeting place for more than 250 Afghan entrepreneurs representing various sectors of the economy. This event continues the regular tradition of Kazakh-Afghan business forums. The last forums were held in August 2023 in Astana, and in Afghanistan in April this year. In December 2023, Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from the list of banned organizations, following UN Security Council resolutions. The decision was part of a broader strategy to strengthen economic and trade ties with Afghanistan, which has become an important partner for Central Asia since the Taliban came to power in 2021. Economic relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan continue to develop and are expected to grow to $3 billion through active participation in business forums and the signing of agricultural supply agreements.

International trade Foreign Trade Bilateral Trade China

Kyrgyz-Chinese Trade Center Opened in Xi’an

On September 21, a Kyrgyz-Chinese Center for Trade and Economic Cooperation was opened in Xi'an in China’s Shaanxi Province. The new center, which occupies an area of 1,000 square meters, will hold exhibitions of products manufactured in Kyrgyzstan, provide information about the country, and organize meetings between Kyrgyz and Chinese entrepreneurs. On the same day, a 200-square-meter trade pavilion of Kyrgyzstan opened in downtown Xi'an. The pavilion will permanently display Kyrgyz products sold offline and online through applications such as Douyin, WeChat, and Pingduoduo. The Xi'an municipality provided Kyrgyzstan with a total area of 1,200 square meters free of charge for three years. "The trade center and pavilion will become an incentive for the development of trade turnover between the two countries, where Chinese consumers will be able to get acquainted with the products of Kyrgyzstan," Deputy Chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers Bakyt Torobaev said at the opening ceremony of the center. Xi'an also hosted a business forum attended by representatives of more than 200 companies from Kyrgyzstan and Shaanxi Province. During the forum, representatives of government agencies in Kyrgyzstan and China and entrepreneurs discussed investment opportunities in sectors such as industry, tourism, transport, and agriculture. In 2023, trade turnover between China and Kyrgyzstan amounted to $20 billion, a 32% increase compared to 2022. Bilateral trade reached almost $11 billion from January to July this year.

Economic Cooperation Bilateral Cooperation Bilateral Trade Border Export/Import

Kara-Suu Crossing Reopens on Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border

On September 12, the Kara-Suu checkpoint was reopened at the border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Located near the town of Kara-Suu in Kyrgyzstan’s southern Osh region, on the border with Uzbekistan’s Andijan region, the Kara-Suu crossing was closed 14 years ago. It has reopened amid the two neighboring states' improved political and economic relations. Speaking at the checkpoint's opening ceremony, Bakyt Torobaev, the Deputy Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, emphasized that its reopening will be beneficial to citizens of both countries. "Previously, many Kyrgyz and Uzbek citizens had to stand in lines at the Dostuk checkpoint to cross the border. The opening of Kara-Suu will solve the problem of queues when crossing the border. The opening of this checkpoint is an important step towards strengthening economic, social, and cultural ties between our countries and increasing tourist flows," Torobaev said. On the same day, the renovated Ken-Sai and Uch-Kurgan border checkpoints were opened between the Jalal-Abad region in Kyrgyzstan and the Namangan region of Uzbekistan. According to official statistics, more than 14 million people crossed the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border in 2023, and in the first eight months of 2024, this figure reached 11 million, 1.5 million more than in the same period last year. In 2023, trade between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan amounted to $693.6 million. In the first seven months of 2024, it reached $428 million, a 6.7% increase compared to the same period in 2023. During a state visit to Uzbekistan back in July, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev focused on measures to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion in the coming years and launch a “green-light corridor” for the transportation of agricultural produce between the two countries.

International Relations Economic Cooperation Bilateral Cooperation Bilateral Trade Afghanistan Agriculture Industry

Rise in Trade Between Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan

In January-August 2024, trade between Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan reached $14 million, including $6 million worth of Afghan exports to Kyrgyzstan. According to a TOLOnews report, based on data from the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, most of Afghanistan's exports to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan consist of mineral water, carpets, non-alcoholic beverages, dried fruits, fruit juices, apricots, and sesame seeds. The report was issued in the wake of an announcement on September 6, in which Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "A decision has been made to remove the Taliban from the list of prohibited organizations within the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.” The Ministry emphasized that the removal of the Taliban, the unrecognized group that effectively controls Afghanistan, from the list of banned terrorist organizations, aims to enhance regional stability and support ongoing dialogue. Confirmation was also made of Kyrgyzstan's ongoing commitment to supporting the efforts of the international community to ensure a stable and peaceful environment in both Afghanistan and the surrounding region. Reporting on the meeting between Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov and the Chargé d'Affaires of Afghanistan in Kyrgyzstan, Nurullah Amin, on September 6, the Kyrgyz government’s press service outlined the parties' discussions on furthering bilateral cooperation between the two countries. On the Kyrgyz side, Japarov expressed interest in developing trade and economic relations, and transport links with Afghanistan, engaging in the joint development of Afghan mineral deposits, and cooperating in the energy, industry, and agriculture sectors.

Education Investments Afghanistan Bilateral Trade Bilateral Cooperation International Relations

Uzbekistan Builds a Religious School in Afghanistan

TOLOnews is reporting that Uzbekistan has agreed to finance the construction of a religious school in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The school, which will be built on sixty acres of land and will cost $6 million, is intended for one thousand pupils. The Consul General of Uzbekistan in Mazar-i-Sharif, Furqat Nazarov, said that the school is being built at the request of the governor of Afghanistan's Balkh province. Nazarov added: “We have allocated one year for this project, and it will be completed by then.” Balkh's Deputy Governor Nurul Hadi Abu Idris commented: “This is a sign of the coordination of the Islamic Ummah. Unity among Muslims is increasing daily.” Afghan officials consider Uzbekistan's establishment of this school to be a practical step in strengthening relations between the two countries. Abdul Jalil Shaheedkhil, the head of Balkh province's education department, said: “The establishment of this school, God willing, will further strengthen relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.” Zabihullah Noorani, the head of information and culture in Balkh, said: “This will be the largest school in Afghanistan, and it will improve our education sector.” The Consul General of Uzbekistan in Mazar-i-Sharif promised to strengthen ties with Afghanistan, and added that Uzbekistan would soon resume providing education and business visas for Afghan citizens. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are developing their trade relations. This year there are opportunities to increase the volume of mutual trade to $1 billion and, soon after, to $3 billion. Uzbekistan has also finished repairing the Naibabad railway station in Afghanistan.

China Export/Import Bilateral Trade State Budget CIS International trade

Russia Remains Tajikistan’s Largest Trade Partner

Russian news agency TASS is reporting that, according to the Statistics Agency under the President of Tajikistan, trade between Tajikistan and Russia has exceeded $1.1 billion in 2024 so far. During the first seven months of 2024, the trade volume between the two countries was 12.1% more than in the same period of 2023. Russia continues to be Tajikistan’s largest trade partner, and also accounted for 26.7% of all imports entering the country during this period. In terms of bilateral trade, China remains in second place, with turnover to and from Tajikistan of almost $1 billion. Rather surprisingly, Switzerland has now became Tajikistan's leading export partner. In the first seven months of 2024, Tajikistan sent 26.6% of its products to Switzerland. In January-July of this year, the trade volume between the two countries amounted to more than $641 million, and compared to the same period in 2023, it increased almost 110 times.