Uzbekistan is set to open a trade center in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, which will provide Uzbek entrepreneurs with a platform to market their goods in Afghanistan, Ariananews.af reports.
According to Trend news agency, the center will cover an area of 220 square meters and will also be used to find new trading partners between Afghan and Uzbek entrepreneurs and expand export opportunities.
The center will house permanent showrooms and warehouses for pharmaceuticals, electrical goods, and construction materials.
Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan reached $153.7 million in January 2025. This is 231 percent more compared to the same period last year ($46.3 million in January 2024).
Last week the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade said Uzbekistan and Afghanistan plan to increase the trade turnover to $3 billion.
The current state and future prospects of bilateral trade and economic relations were discussed on Saturday during a meeting between Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov, and Afghan Trade Minister Nuruddin Azizi, who was visiting the Termez International Trade Center in the Surkhandarya region, the ministry said in a statement.
The latest trade house development comes amid concerted efforts by both countries to boost their cross-border trade relations.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 6, 2025