Afghan citizens topped the list of foreign business travelers to Uzbekistan during the first half of 2025, according to the country’s National Statistics Agency.
From January to June, over 207,500 Afghans visited Uzbekistan for commercial purposes — a dramatic increase from just 1,569 during the same period in 2024, marking a 132-fold surge.
Tajikistan followed in second place with more than 12,200 business visitors, while Turkmenistan came third with 1,642.
Other countries on the list included Russia (451 visitors), Turkiye (276), Kazakhstan (255), and other nations (1,177).
In total, Uzbekistan reportedly welcomed 223,600 foreign business travelers over the first six months of this year.
Fergana News notes that a notable decline was recorded in the number of Turkmen visitors, which plummeted from nearly 38,000 in 2024 to just 1,642 this year. Conversely, Russian business travel to Uzbekistan nearly tripled — from 157 to 451.
Interestingly, countries such as China, India, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, and the United States, all of which had active business travel ties with Uzbekistan in 2024, were absent from this year’s statistics.
The sharp increase in Afghan visitors is attributed to the opening of the “Termez” International Trade Center in the “Ayritom” Free Economic Zone in Surkhandarya region. The center allows foreign nationals to stay visa-free for up to 15 days. Afghans and Pakistanis are also permitted to lease or purchase commercial property within the center.
The Termez center is a key component of Uzbekistan’s strategy to boost bilateral trade with Afghanistan to US$3 billion annually. Business relations between the two countries are strengthening rapidly. On August 3, 45 agreements worth US$20 million were signed in Kabul, including plans to establish joint chambers of commerce and offer investment incentives.
