TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 15. Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates have discussed the advancement of the Trans-Afghan railway project, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev wrote on his social media account, Trend reports.
The statement followed Khodjaev’s meeting in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE.
“In particular, we discussed prospects for advancing the Navoi logistics platform together with AD Ports as an intermodal hub, as well as the development of the Trans-Afghan railway project, where we see the UAE and Etihad Rail as natural and capable partners, given their expertise in rail infrastructure and logistics. This corridor is intended to provide Central Asia with direct access to Pakistan's seaports and strengthen regional trade and integration,” Khodjaev stated.
According to him, the sides also reviewed a number of promising areas for future cooperation, including the development of Islamic finance in Uzbekistan as a new and promising area of partnership with the UAE.
“It is important to note that in March 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Law on Islamic Banking, which will enter into force on June 29, 2026, creating a solid legal foundation for Sharia-compliant financial activities in Uzbekistan,” he noted.
Khodjaev added that, within discussions on the final stage of Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization, the importance of advancing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Uzbekistan and the UAE was also emphasized.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and the UAE have formed a joint investment portfolio comprising around 100 projects with a total value exceeding $20 billion, reflecting the steady expansion of bilateral economic cooperation and the growing strategic depth of the partnership.