On Thursday, March 4, 2021, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) held a roundtable discussion on “Prospects of Economic Cooperation between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan". Yadgarkhoja Shadmanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Afghanistan; Nazir Kabiri, Deputy Minister for Policy, Ministry of Finance; and Sayed Zaman Hashemi, Chief Executive Officer, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, were the speakers of the program. The event was moderated by Razia Danesh, University Lecturer.
Yadgarkhoja Shadmanov said that Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have good relations and cooperate in various fields. One of the areas is the energy sector, of which Uzbekistan is Afghanistan's largest electricity supplier. Shadmanov said trade relations between the two countries are expanding and the volume of Afghan-Uzbek trade and Afghan investment in Uzbekistan is increasing every year. According to Shadmanov, there are about 2,000 Afghan-owned companies operating in Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan has provided many facilities for Afghan businessmen, indicating the expansion of relations between the two countries.
Nazir Kabiri said that Afghanistan has always needed foreign aid and in the current situation, in addition to domestic revenue, it needs more than eight billion dollars. Regarding economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, he said that relations are growing and several agreements and commissions have been set up to expand cooperation and facilitate trade, adding that Uzbekistan is the second largest economy in Central Asia. And is of great importance to Afghanistan.
Sayed Zaman Hashemi said that turning Afghanistan into a crossroads of trade requires structuring and facilities for businessmen; But this idea is only on paper and the Afghan government must take practical steps to implement it. "Last year, Afghanistan's exports to Uzbekistan amounted to about five million dollars, while our imports amounted to nearly eight hundred million dollars, and this shows the imbalance," he added.