Uzbekistan and Afghanistan plan to accelerate the introduction of a preferential trade regime and significantly expand bilateral trade, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev said.
In a post on his LinkedIn page, Khodjaev wrote that on February 24 he held a video conference with Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Nuriddin Azizi. “We discussed practical steps to expand trade and economic cooperation and preparations for an upcoming visit of the Afghan delegation to Uzbekistan,” he said.
Khodjaev noted that Uzbekistan values its “friendly and constructive relations” with Afghanistan. According to him, over the past five years bilateral trade has grown 2.5 times, from $653 million in 2021 to $1.7 billion in 2025. “Our shared goal is to increase this figure to $5 billion,” he wrote.
The discussions also addressed the development of interregional ties and the infrastructure needed to promote goods, including showrooms and warehouse facilities. The two sides considered industrial cooperation in agricultural processing, construction materials, and textiles, as well as joint initiatives in food security.
“We agreed to accelerate the entry into force of the Preferential Trade Agreement and to advance projects in investment and industrial cooperation,” Khodjaev stated. He added that, after Ramadan, work would continue in a practical format, including a business forum in Kabul and the preparation of a roadmap outlining priority areas.
Earlier data indicate that in 2024 bilateral trade reached approximately $1.1 billion, with more than $1 billion accounting for Uzbek exports to Afghanistan.
