Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum concludes with 22 trade agreements — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) says the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum, attended by around 600 traders, investors and officials from the two countries in Kabul, concluded on Tuesday with the signing of 22 trade agreements across various sectors. In a statement, ACCI said the forum was attended by Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev, Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, ACCI Chairman Sayed Karim Hashimi, Uzbekistan’s ministers of transport and mining, the governor of Fergana, presidents of the chambers of commerce of the two countries and more than 300 traders and investors from each country. Hashimi stressed the importance of expanding economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, describing the forum as an important step towards strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. Azizi expressed hope that annual trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan would reach US$5 billion in the future and emphasised the need to facilitate transit and develop logistics infrastructure. Deputy Prime Minister Khodjayev encouraged Uzbek businesspeople to take advantage of investment opportunities in Afghanistan and outlined his government’s plans to establish logistics centres, reduce preferential tariffs and invest in the energy, agriculture and industrial sectors. He also highlighted investment in Afghanistan’s cotton sector and reiterated Uzbekistan’s commitment to purchase 100,000 tonnes of cotton from the country annually. The forum concluded with the signing of 22…