A joint trade zone for Afghan and Uzbek investors in the Termez city of Uzbekistan will soon be available for businesspeople from the two countries with the hope to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
According to Uzbek officials, the ongoing project worth $75 million and encompasses 24 hectares of land in Termez city, the center of Surxondaryo region.
The idea is to support investors from Afghanistan and provide new opportunities of investment, an Uzbek official who heads the project said on Saturday.
The trade zone will include hotels, health centers and other services where Afghan investors as well as other people can stay without a visa for 15 days.
Work on the project started last month after the governor of Surxondaryo region visited Balkh in August, vowing more efforts to boost cooperation between the two countries.
An Afghan investor said the trade zone will be a unique opportunity for them to meet businesspeople from other countries and fid more investment opportunities.
“I am so excited… We can invest there and build relations with investors from other countries to expand our businesses,” said Shir Agha Mohammadi, an investor.
The agreement for the project was made between Afghanistan’s previous government and Uzbekistan.
Taliban governor in Balkh, Abdul Hadi Abu Idris, welcomed the move by Uzbekistan, saying they will continue to have economic and social ties with neighbouring countries.
