TASHKENT, AUG 10 – The government delegations of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan held talks via videoconference, which confirmed their mutual interest in expanding bilateral cooperation and ensuring stable economic and infrastructural development in the region.
The current issues of interaction in trade, energy, transport communications and logistics, as well as the implementation of a number of important investment projects of regional significance were considered.
The delegations were headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar and Head of the Administration of the President of Afghanistan Mohammad Shaker Kargar.
The talks were also attended by the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Energy, as well as other relevant agencies and companies of the two countries.The parties spoke in favor of further intensifying cooperation in the energy sector.
An agreement was reached on continuation of interaction in organizing the supply of electricity from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and development of appropriate infrastructure for this, including the implementation of the project for construction of Surkhan – Puli-Khumri power transmission line.The parties also noted the importance of improving the infrastructure of transport communications in the region and ensuring the interconnection of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan through the development of transport corridors and the use of the transit potential of the two countries both in the directions of “Central Asia – South Asia” and “Afghanistan – China, CIS and European countries”.During the talks, the parties exchanged views on further strengthening trade ties.