Uzbek deputy PM-led delegation visits Kabul to boost ties — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev has said a high-level Uzbek delegation’s visit to Kabul was made on the instruction of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to strengthen economic and political relations between the two countries. Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), said on X that Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund met Khodjaev and his delegation at the Gulkhana Palace on Sunday. The Uzbek delegation includes ministers, deputy ministers, businessmen and investors. Khodjaev said Afghanistan has an important place in Uzbekistan’s foreign policy and that the visit aims to begin implementing previous commitments in trade and investment and assess their outcomes. He said Afghanistan’s exports to Uzbekistan totaled $150 million last year, while exports during the first months of the current year have already reached $111 million, with expectations of further growth by year-end. Khodjaev added that Uzbekistan has issued 5,000 visas to Afghan citizens so far, describing it as a sign of expanding friendship and economic cooperation between the two countries. PM Hassan welcomed the delegation, saying the visit was important for strengthening bilateral relations and reflected Uzbekistan’s confidence in Afghanistan’s future. He assured the Uzbek official that Afghanistan remains committed to expanding ties with Uzbekistan and implementing agreements reached between the two countries.