Fergana and Afghanistan Build Cross-Border Trade Ties

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan's Fergana region is moving to establish a permanent commercial foothold in Afghanistan, with plans for a dedicated Fergana Trade House on Afghan soil emerging as the headline outcome of talks held between the region's governor and the head of Afghanistan's Trade and Investment Chamber at the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum.

Governor Khayrillo Bozorov met with Said Muhammad Karim Hashimi, Chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Trade and Investment, to discuss expanding bilateral trade, investment flows, and agricultural cooperation — a conversation both sides framed against a backdrop of steadily improving Uzbek-Afghan relations in recent years.

A Trade House as Permanent Commercial Infrastructure

The proposed Fergana Trade House in Afghanistan would represent a concrete institutional anchor for the bilateral relationship, giving Fergana-based businesses a dedicated platform to operate in the Afghan market. The initiative signals that Uzbekistan's engagement with Afghanistan is maturing beyond episodic project deals toward structured, long-term commercial infrastructure.

Afghan Industrial Goods, Joint Ventures, and Agri-Processing

Substantive discussions covered the supply of Afghan industrial products to Fergana for further processing — a model that would leverage Fergana's established manufacturing base while providing Afghan producers with access to a higher value-added processing chain. The two sides also examined the creation of joint ventures and the development of new investment projects, with agricultural cooperation receiving dedicated attention given both regions' significant agri-sector capacity.

Hashimi noted the growing interest among Afghan entrepreneurs in partnering with Uzbek counterparts and confirmed readiness to facilitate business initiatives and the development of trade infrastructure on the Afghan side.

Business Delegations to Follow

The meeting concluded with agreements to intensify engagement across trade, investment, and agriculture, and to organize exchanges of business delegations — a standard but meaningful step that puts people and deal flow in motion.

Uzbekistan has positioned itself as one of the most active regional states in economic engagement with post-2021 Afghanistan, viewing stable cross-border trade as both a commercial opportunity and a contribution to regional stability.