Taliban’s economic delegation visits Uzbekistan for trade and investment talks
A delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has arrived in Tashkent. The agenda includes trade and economic cooperation, Uzbekistan’s investments in Afghanistan, and oil and gas exploration.

Photo: Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade
The delegation was welcomed on February 22 by Jamshid Khodjayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan; Ismatulla Ergashev, the President's Special Representative for Afghanistan; and Sheikh Abdul Ghaffar Bahr, the Taliban’s ambassador to Uzbekistan.
According to reports, the delegation includes officials responsible for customs, transport, aviation, and agriculture. On the same day, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund began negotiations with Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev.
During the talks, both sides discussed expanding trade and transit ties and encouraging Uzbek investors to invest in Afghanistan. The Uzbek side expressed readiness to establish a joint trade zone at the border to enhance bilateral trade relations.
"This trade zone will include factories for processing pine nuts and cotton, packaging and logistics centers, and facilities for producing various food products," the report stated.
Additionally, Jamshid Khodjayev announced Uzbekistan’s willingness to cooperate in oil and gas exploration and extraction in Afghanistan, as well as to invest in the industrial sector, including the construction of a cement plant in Namangan region.
It was revealed that significant progress has been made in exploring the "Toti Maydon" gas field, and extraction operations are expected to commence soon.
The Afghan side "warmly welcomed Uzbekistan’s proposals and expressed confidence in comprehensive cooperation in these areas," the report noted.
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