BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 19
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
Since Uzbekistan's President Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016, Uzbekistan has widened its role in Afghanistan through greater security, energy, and economic ties, Russia, Caucasus, and Central Asia Analyst at London-based Prism Political Risk Management consultancy Rebeka Foley told Trend in an interview.
“Uzbekistan aims to position itself as key regional trading partner with its southern neighbor, having built a trade terminal on the border in 2019 in addition to signing a ten-year agreement on electricity exports to Afghanistan,” stressed Foley.
Foley noted that the completion of the Surkhan-Puli-Khumr power line will further integrate Uzbekistan into Afghanistan’s energy sector.
Meanwhile, construction of the transmission line will increase the supply of electricity from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan by 70 percent.
“Already a major supplier of electricity to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan plans to increase its role in Afghanistan’s energy sector, including greater exports and development of energy infrastructure. Both governments also seek to strengthen bilateral trade, which could provide investment opportunities in infrastructure, energy, and logistics with the expansion of transport corridors," Foley noted.
Earlier, on August 13, Iran has launched a new transport corridor through Afghanistan to Uzbekistan.
Afghan Ministry of Transport reported that the new route was opened in the framework of the Convention on the International Transport of Goods (Carnet TIR). First consignment of goods included tea and car tires.
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