Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have established a joint business council aimed at increasing bilateral trade to $5 billion, Fergana news agency reported on March 26, citing the press service of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Uzbekistan.
The council includes 32 representatives. The Uzbek side is represented by the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and sectoral associations, while the Afghan side includes representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and heads of major private companies.
The first meeting of the council was held in Tashkent under the co-chairmanship of Heads of Chambers of Commerce, Davron Vahabov of Uzbekistan and Mohammad Karim Hashimi f Afghanistan.
During the meeting, participants discussed expanding trade and economic cooperation, strengthening direct ties between businesses, and implementing joint projects. The key objective is to increase bilateral trade to $5 billion in the short term. To achieve this, the parties agreed on a concrete action plan.
Priority areas include expanding export potential, introducing digital customs systems, developing financial and insurance services, and ensuring transparency in trade processes.
Special attention was also given to enhancing business-to-business interaction through regular exhibitions, business forums, and B2B meetings.
It is expected that the implementation of these agreements and a focus on priority areas will elevate bilateral economic cooperation to a new level and significantly increase trade volumes.
According to Davron Vahabov, the initiative will create opportunities for direct dialogue between entrepreneurs, the formation of new partnerships, and increased investment activity.
