MAZARI-SHARIF, October 26. /Dunyo IA/. B2B negotiations between entrepreneurs from the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan and Balkh province of Afghanistan were held in Mazari-Sharif, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Visit of the delegation representing Surkhandarya business circles to Balkh province was led by Toshpulat Toshev, a representative of the Khokimiyat of Surkhandarya region. Business representatives operating in agriculture, the fruit and vegetable sector, the coal industry and the food sector participated in the negotiations.

During the meeting, Uzbek side outlined the prospects for direct cooperation between the regions of the two countries, specifically the Surkhandarya region and Balkh province. It was noted that significant potential exists for increasing trade turnover, implementing joint projects, as well as developing poultry farming, the textile and light industries and the production of food products and construction materials.

Chief of the Secretariat of the Balkh Province Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Asadullah Asadi, presented information on the region's economic opportunities and the conditions created for foreign investors. He invited entrepreneurs from Surkhandarya to invest in agriculture, industry, building materials manufacturing, mining and poultry farming.

Afghan side also noted the launch of a project to construct a poultry farm in Balkh involving investors from the Andijan region of Uzbekistan.

Head of the Balkh Province Directorate of Industry and Commerce, Mawlawi Ahmadkhan Khadim, emphasized that the volume of mutual trade between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is growing annually. According to his assessments, the trade turnover between the two countries could reach $5 billion in the coming years.

Ahmadkhan Khadim also positively assessed the cooperation mechanism established between the Surkhandarya region and Balkh province and expressed readiness to provide the necessary support to entrepreneurs and investors from the Uzbek region.

Following the B2B negotiations, parties signed a series of agreements across various sectors. Delegation members also visited industrial enterprises in Balkh province, acquainted themselves with their operations and explored opportunities for establishing further cooperation.

Particular attention was paid to interaction in the field of healthcare. During a meeting with Sayed Ahmad Shadab, Deputy Director of the Balkh Public Health Directorate, an agreement was reached to organize a visit in the near future of a group of Afghan doctors to the “AKFA Medline Ayritom” multidisciplinary medical center, located within the Termez International Trade Center.

Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the parties is expected during the planned visit.