The Taliban announced Thursday that Abdul Ghani Baradar, its deputy prime minister for economic affairs, held talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on expanding political and economic cooperation between the two sides.
The meeting took place on 3 July in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the 17th meeting of foreign ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), according to a statement from the Taliban’s presidential office.
During the talks, President Mirziyoyev reportedly expressed Uzbekistan’s willingness to invest in key sectors of Afghanistan’s economy, including railway infrastructure, textiles, cement, mining, and electricity.
Both parties agreed to establish a joint working group, led by Baradar and Uzbekistan’s prime minister, to monitor the implementation of future agreements. The working group will meet every three months to assess progress.
According to the Taliban’s statement, Uzbekistan committed to supporting major infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, including the Mazar-e-Sharif–Herat–Kandahar railway line, the construction of textile factories, cement plants, oil refineries, and salt mining operations. Tashkent also pledged to help expand electricity imports to Afghanistan via a 500-kilovolt transmission line extension.
Baradar urged continued engagement between Uzbekistan and the Taliban-led government, emphasising the importance of bilateral trade and transit links.
The Taliban further stated that Uzbekistan had agreed to facilitate the export of Afghan agricultural goods to Central Asia and Russia through Uzbek territory, assist with banking transactions, simplify visa issuance for Afghan nationals, and advance the development of the Termez International Trade Centre.
