Uzbekistan has agreed to sign export contracts worth $44 million with Afghanistan, according to a report by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan.

The contracts were signed during a three-day visit to Tashkent by a delegation of Afghan businessmen.

The two nations are also planning to form an Uzbekistan-Afghanistan Business Council, which will have 18 Afghan companies among its members.

Afghanistan’s import market is worth $7 billion. The goods that are most in demand with Afghan importers are agricultural products, processed food, textiles, leather, electrical components and construction materials.

Turkmenistan has made “significant progress” on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, said TAPI Pipeline Company Limited CEO Muhammetmyrat Amanov.

“Turkmenistan is making significant progress on the TAPI natural gas pipeline, which will supply 33 billion cubic meters to South Asia annually,” he said.

Speaking at the Turkmen Energy Investment Forum (TEIF 2024) currently being held in Paris, Amanov highlighted that Turkmenistan’s section of the pipeline had been completed and ongoing discussions to advance the project beyond Turkmenistan were in strict alignment with the international standards.

He said the project envisaged environmental sustainability by leveraging natural gas to reduce emissions significantly compared to coal and oil, thereby tackling indoor pollution and enhancing regional air quality.

“In light of the ongoing project developments, Turkmenistan remains committed to upholding the international law, fulfilling its obligations and adhering to international norms and regulations,” he said.

This approach reaffirms Turkmenistan’s dedication to global cooperation and legal integrity in executing the TAPI project.

Looking ahead, the project’s focus is shifting to the Herat Offtake Strategy in Afghanistan, which will play a critical role in environmental protection by reducing air pollution, while also contributing to maintaining public safety, he said.

Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, met with representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, defense and interior of Malaysia, along with other senior officials, on Wednesday and called on Malaysians to invest in Afghanistan.

The visiting delegation is being led by senior diplomat Dr. Shazelina Zainul Abidin.

According to the IEA’s foreign ministry, the two sides discussed bilateral trade, holding a business communication conference to strengthen trade relations between the two countries, the trade balance between Afghanistan and Malaysia, and creating a market for Afghan products, including carpets, cotton, and minerals.

According to the ministry, at the end of the meeting, the Acting Minister emphasized the increase of investment from regional countries in Afghanistan and called on Malaysian investors to also invest in Afghanistan.