KABUL, March 12. /Dunyo IA/.  Government of Uzbekistan has ratified Preferential Trade Agreement between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing the Afghan broadcaster “Ariana News”.

The document was signed on June 10, 2025, during the Tashkent International Investment Forum by the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, Laziz Kudratov, and the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, Nooruddin Azizi.

The agreement provides for the elimination of customs duties on 14 categories of goods, the simplification of phytosanitary certification procedures for Afghan agricultural products and additional support measures for Uzbek exporters.

In February 2026, Jamshid Khodjaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, held online negotiations with Nooruddin Azizi regarding the acceleration of the agreement’s entry into force, the promotion of investment projects, and the development of industrial cooperation. Following the conclusion of the month of Ramadan, a new joint business forum is scheduled to be held in Kabul.

The agreement is expected to facilitate the strengthening of bilateral trade, the expansion of economic ties and the creation of new opportunities for businesses and exporters. Furthermore, Uzbekistan aims to increase the volume of mutual trade with Afghanistan to 5 billion dollars.