Uzbekistan pursues transit agreement with Afghanistan and Pakistan amid growing trade

Uzbekistan intends to conclude a transit agreement with Afghanistan and Pakistan. This was announced by First Deputy Minister of Transport Mamanbay Omarov at the Uzbek-Afghan business forum on July 3.

The official noted a 1.5-fold increase in freight transport along the transport corridor between the countries over the past 2 years. Uzbekistan has provided several incentives to reduce costs for transporting Afghan goods via its roads and railways.

According to Omarov, the Afghan interim government will soon introduce fees for goods from Uzbekistan on an equal footing. He emphasized that the development of bilateral and transit transportation should be mutually beneficial.

"We are also ready to jointly develop and sign a transit agreement between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as to join the Chabahar Agreement," Omarov added.

The deputy minister called for continued efforts to unlock transit potential and ensure uninterrupted transport. He highlighted that the countries will expand cooperation in the field of transport and logistics.