Uzbekistan plans to import more than 1 million tons of coal from Afghanistan

Uzbekistan intends to import more than 1 million tons of coal from Afghanistan, as well as start construction works at the Imam Al-Bukhari madrasa in Mazar-e-Sharif, implement the projects of developing the technical and economic basis of the Trans-Afghan railway project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan reported.

The delegation led by the Minister of Transport Ilhom Mahkamov visited Afghanistan on May 12 and held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Mottaki, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan reported .

According to the Ministry's information, the head of the Ministry of Transport said that this time he was "accompanied by a strong technical team from the private sector, railways, geology and mining." Ilhom Mahkamov added that Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Uzbek government "pay serious attention to Afghanistan and support the idea of turning Afghanistan into a transit hub in the region," the report said.

The Minister of Transport said that he came with a team of engineers to practically develop the technical and economic basis of the "Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan" railway project . In a few weeks, another Uzbek delegation is expected to bring equipment for the construction of the Afghan railway to Afghanistan.

Also, the geological and mining technical group of Uzbekistan will hold meetings with the officials of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan responsible for oil and gas exploration and production.

Ilhom Mahkamov, it was noted, expressed his readiness to provide round-the-clock customs and border services between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, and also reminded that transport and transit tariffs have been reduced.

Amir Khan Mottaki noted that the progress made in simplifying the issuance of visas for Afghan businessmen and drivers is a "good step forward" and added that it is necessary to expand the issuance of visas for educational, medical and tourist purposes for Afghans.

Ismatulla Irgashev, the special representative of the President of Uzbekistan on Afghanistan, informed that Uzbekistan is working on issuing long-term visas for Afghan businessmen and drivers, as well as visas for education, medicine and tourism.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he noted that a technical team will soon arrive in Kabul to buy more than 1 million tons of coal. Engineers are also scheduled to arrive to start the construction of the Imam al-Bukhari madrasa in Mazar-e-Sharif.

The special representative of the president stated that Uzbekistan is ready to cooperate with the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan in the construction and reconstruction of historical places and shrines.

The delegation also held meetings with the deputy prime minister of Afghanistan for political affairs, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, and other official representatives of this country.

We remind you that this year coal production in Uzbekistan is planned to reach 8 million tons (last year this figure was 6.5 million tons), and next year it will reach 10 million tons. The plans were presented to the president on May 13. He gave instructions on introducing international standards to the industry, improving the quality of coal, and accelerating investment projects.

In March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov held talks with the leadership of Afghanistan in Kabul. They touched on trade, transit, investment development, cooperation in the field of water resources use and other issues in Afghanistan.