Mirziyoyev meets with Taliban representative at Karabakh summit

On July 3, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan. The meeting took place within the framework of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in the city of Khankendi. This was reported by the press service of the President.

During the meeting, the parties discussed key aspects of expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the trade and economic, transport and logistics, and energy sectors. Particular satisfaction was expressed with the steady growth in trade volume and the number of joint ventures.

“Practical contacts have become more active. In May of this year, Uzbek trading houses were opened in the cities of Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif. An agreement on preferential trade was signed in June,” the official statement noted.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of further developing cross-border trade and related infrastructure, as well as promoting cooperative projects in mining, textiles, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, agricultural processing, and other sectors.

The meeting also highlighted the need to accelerate the construction of the strategically significant regional initiative — the Trans-Afghan Railway.

It is worth recalling that on June 11, President Mirziyoyev received Nuriddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Trade of the Taliban’s interim government, who was participating in the Tashkent International Investment Forum. During the event, Azizi signed a preferential trade agreement with Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Trade and Industry.