KABUL, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Afghan and Uzbek traders signed 22 trade agreements valued at about 200 million U.S. dollars in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced on Monday.
The deals were finalized during an Afghan-Uzbek trade forum, according to a ministry statement.
Addressing the ceremony, Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi said around 10,000 tons of Afghan cotton had been exported to Uzbekistan on a trial basis. He also expressed the hope to increase the volume of bilateral trade to 5 billion dollars.
Bilateral ties between the two neighbors have gathered significant momentum in recent months. In February and March, Afghan and Uzbek businesses signed a series of memorandums of understanding in Kabul, underscoring deepening economic cooperation.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Afghan government has focused on expanding diplomatic, trade, transit, and economic links with the international community, particularly with neighboring and regional states. ■
