Local news sources in Kunduz report that a 16-member delegation of Uzbek businesspeople, led by Bahrom Yusupov, Deputy Governor of Jizzakh Province, has traveled to Kunduz Province.
According to reports, the delegation met with local Taliban officials and a number of Afghan businesspeople to discuss trade and investment opportunities.
During a meeting with the Uzbek delegation, Habib-ur-Rahman Sohaib, Deputy Governor of Kunduz, invited the delegation members to invest in various sectors in Afghanistan. He also called on Uzbekistan to provide greater facilitation for the issuance of visas to Afghan businesspeople.
Bahrom Yusupov, head of the Uzbek delegation, said that Uzbekistan is interested in increasing the level of its investment in Afghanistan.
The visit comes as the Taliban seek alternative trade routes for Afghanistan’s imports and exports following the prolonged closure of major trade routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In this context, Afghanistan has intensified efforts to expand its trade relations with Iran and Central Asian countries.
Following clashes along the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan, trade routes between the two countries, including the Torkham and Chaman crossings, have been closed. According to data from the joint chambers of commerce, the closure of these routes has caused losses of approximately $980 million to Pakistan and nearly $495 million to Afghanistan.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
