Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 8 August 2020, the government delegations of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan held talks in the format of a video conference, which confirmed their mutual interest in expanding bilateral cooperation and ensuring stable economic and infrastructural development in the region.

In accordance with the agenda, during the talks, topical issues of interaction in the areas of 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 of the parties were headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov, Acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Hanif Atmar and Head of the Presidential Administration of Afghanistan Mohammad Shokir. The talks were also attended by the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Energy, as well as other relevant departments and companies of the two countries.

During the talks, the parties emphasized the high level of bilateral relations achieved over the past 3 years thanks to the efforts of the leaders of the two countries, as well as expressed a firm commitment to the timely and effective implementation of the agreements reached in a wide range of cooperation.

The parties spoke in favor of further intensifying cooperation in the energy sector. An agreement was reached on the continuation of interaction in organizing the supply of electricity from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and the development of appropriate infrastructure for this, including the early implementation of the project for the construction of the "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 direction of "Central Asia - South Asia" and in the direction of "Afghanistan - China, CIS countries and Europe ".

During the talks, the parties exchanged views on ways to further strengthen trade ties. In particular, a positive assessment was given to the dynamics of growth in the volume of mutual trade:

at the end of the first half of 2020, despite the negative impact of the consequences of the pandemic on the international trade environment, the volume of bilateral trade increased by 24% compared to the same period last year.

In order to further build up trade relations, an agreement was reached on the development of an appropriate institutional and legal framework, the adoption of additional measures to stimulate mutual trade, including through a fuller use of the potential of border trade and the study of the possibilities of concluding a preferential trade agreement.

As a result of the talks, joint measures were agreed to expand trade and economic cooperation in the near future, specific measures were identified for further interaction and implementation of specific projects in the field of trade, energy and transport development.

In the opinion of the parties, the progress achieved in bilateral relations and the developed proposals for strengthening the partnership will serve to ensure stability, sustainable development and deepening economic cooperation in the Central Asian region and the active involvement of Afghanistan in this process.