The Taliban’s minister of industry and commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, traveled to Uzbekistan on Monday to attend an international industrial exhibition where Afghanistan’s products are being showcased, according to a statement from the ministry.
The event, titled “INNOPROM Central Asia,” is being held in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, and brings together regional businesses and investors focused on industrial development and technology.
About 60 companies from Afghanistan are participating in the exhibition, representing sectors including cotton, coal, pharmaceuticals and agriculture, the ministry said.
Taliban officials said the exhibition aims to expand industrial cooperation and attract investment between Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia.
The visit comes at a time of strain for Afghanistan’s trade sector. Key commercial routes with Pakistan — historically one of the country’s main trade corridors — have been disrupted in recent months following border tensions, affecting the flow of goods.
Those disruptions have contributed to rising prices for basic commodities. A recent report by the United Nations World Food Program found that some food items in Afghanistan are up to 47 percent more expensive than a year ago.
The report said that while markets remain operational, higher transportation costs and shifts in supply routes have continued to put pressure on prices and access to goods.
