The Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov landed in Kabul, Afghanistan for a visit on March 12-13, the minister said on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.
This has been Bakhtiyor Saidov’s first visit as the Foreign Minister to Afghanistan. He was accompanied by other officials of the Uzbek government and the private sector.
“Uzbeks have a rich and shared history, traditions and the common future with Afghans. There are many areas that we can explore together,” he said.
In particular, the minister Bakhtiyor Saidov held talks with top officials of the caretaker government of Afghanistan, namely the Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Acting Foreign Minister Mavlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani and the Acting Minister of Trade and Industry Nuriddin Azizi.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar stressed that Afghanistan is promoting “an economic-oriented foreign policy with a priority on regional connectivity,” his spokesman said.
Cooperation with Uzbekistan is of particular importance, he said, pointing to the interest in increasing transit through Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, expanding the railway network, increasing investment, and resolving transport and customs issues.
During a discussion on water management and agricultural development, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar called the Koshtepa Canal construction project in northern Afghanistan "a long-standing aspiration of the Afghan people, which has been hampered by protracted conflicts and instability."
He called for "equitable use of the [Amu Darya] river, as do other countries in the basin," noting that "with the restoration of the Islamic Emirate, the project has begun on the [construction of] the canal, ensuring the rights of Afghans without causing concern to neighboring countries."
Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov reiterated Uzbekistan’s commitment to strengthening political and economic ties with Afghanistan.
He offered technical assistance on behalf of Uzbekistan for the project to build a canal and for modern irrigation systems.
The press service of the Afghan Foreign Ministry also reported that the ministers' negotiations also touched on issues of trade and transit, including simplification of the issuance of visas to businessmen and transport personnel in order to expand economic cooperation.
Mavlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi touched upon the shortage of electricity imported from Uzbekistan, noting that in winter this affects both ordinary residents and sectors of the economy.
Bakhtiyor Saidov said that Uzbekistan had always supported Afghanistan, calling for it to be considered part of Central Asia and the international community.
He also underscored interest in investing in Afghanistan in the areas of cement production, coal mining and coal-based electricity generation.
In February, it was reported that the Khairatan-Mazar-i-Sharif railway reconstruction project had begun with the participation of the experts from the Uzbekistan Railways.
In early March, the press service of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan announced the intention of the Uzbek authorites to introduce a 15-day visa-free regime for businessmen from Afghanistan working in the international trade center in Termez (now this duration is 10 days).
