BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 16
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Uzbekistan plans to bring annual mutual trade with Afghanistan to $2 billion by 2023, Trend reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan (MIFT).
The President of Uzbekistan entrusted the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan and the administration of the Surkhandarya region to create favorable conditions aimed at ensuring the free exchange of goods and services between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
MIFT and the administration of the Surkhandarya region will implement appropriate measures to increase the annual volume of mutual trade between the two countries.
In addition, they will assist in the establishment of partnerships between entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, the development of investment projects, as well as the conclusion of trade and investment agreements.
An infrastructure will be created in the border areas of the Surkhandarya region with Afghanistan in order to provide medical, educational, and other services for the citizens of Afghanistan.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree "On measures to further develop the activities of special economic and small industrial zones in the Surkhandarya region and the city of Tashkent".
The document says that the center is created by reducing the territory of Termez free economic zone. Termez Cargo Center Ltd. will be included in the register of the center's participants.
According to the report of the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan for 9M2020 amounted to $542.9 million. The export volume of Uzbekistan exceeded $541 million.
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