Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has announced the dispatch of eight export shipments through Torghundi port via the Lapis Lazuli Corridor to international markets.

In a statement, the ministry said the move is part of ongoing efforts to facilitate transit and strengthen the country’s export sector. Officials confirmed that coordination has been completed for eight commercial consignments to be transported along the corridor.

According to the ministry, a transport company is scheduled to move the shipments on Sunday, March 15, along the route that links Afghanistan with Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia before reaching Turkey.

The consignments include dried fruits, jam, pressure cookers and energy drinks. After arriving in Turkey, the goods are expected to be re-exported to markets in Saudi Arabia, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands.

The Lapis Lazuli Corridor is a regional trade and transit route launched in 2018 to connect Afghanistan with European markets through the Caucasus and Turkey, providing an alternative pathway for Afghan exports beyond traditional routes.

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said expanding transit corridors, supporting export and import growth, and facilitating international transport operations remain among its key priorities.

Officials added that practical steps are being taken to strengthen Afghanistan’s role in regional trade and connectivity.

An exploration company backed by the government of Uzbekistan has begun collecting seismic data in northern Afghanistan as part of a new energy exploration project agreed between the two neighboring countries last year.

According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Overseas Geology Company (UOGC) has started work to gather 2D seismic data across three exploration blocks in northern Afghanistan: Ahmadabad, Muhammad-Jandagar, and Shamar.

The three blocks cover more than 7,600 square kilometers near Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan. Initial seismic surveys are expected to focus on about 600 square kilometers of the area.

Officials say the project will be fully financed by UOGC and aims to identify potential hydrocarbon reserves, while also assessing the area for other mineral resources, including iron and copper deposits.

The exploration work follows a cooperation agreement signed in 2025 between Uzbekistan’s mining ministry and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan. Under the deal, the Uzbek side has two years of exclusive exploration rights in the blocks.

If commercially viable resources are discovered, Afghan authorities have agreed to give priority development rights to an operating company formed by the Uzbek partners.

The Uzbek Overseas Geology Company was established in early 2025 by two state-linked Uzbek exploration firms, Uzbekgeologorazvedka and Uzbekgeofizika, the latter being affiliated with Uzbekistan’s state energy producer Uzbekneftegaz.

Growing Uzbek energy involvement in Afghanistan

The new seismic survey marks the second major energy exploration initiative by Uzbek companies in Afghanistan in recent years.

In 2024, authorities in Tashkent announced that Eriell KAM—a joint venture between Uzbekistan’s oilfield service provider Eriell Group and Afghanistan’s Kam Group—had taken over exploration plans for the Totimaidan gas block.

The Totimaidan block is located in Faryab Province near the border with Turkmenistan and spans roughly 7,000 square kilometers. The area is believed to contain the undeveloped Juma and Bashikurd sour gas fields, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

Although Afghanistan originally auctioned the block in 2014, a production-sharing contract was never finalized.

Regional cooperation and economic integration

Analysts say Uzbekistan’s growing involvement in Afghanistan’s resource sector reflects both geographic proximity and broader regional economic interests.

Tashkent-based investment consultant Farkhodjon Israilov said exploration projects in Afghanistan are not only about energy resources but also about encouraging infrastructure development and economic activity in the country.

According to Israilov, greater regional investment and economic integration could contribute to long-term stability and mutually beneficial growth for Afghanistan and its neighbors.

Uzbek officials say the seismic surveys represent an important step toward identifying Afghanistan’s untapped natural resources while expanding energy cooperation between the two countries.

The UNHCR, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank, on Wednesday inaugurated the largest carpet-weaving center in western Afghanistan’s Herat province.

The initiative, attended by UN Deputy Special Representative Indrika Ratwatte and local community leaders, will support 400 returnees, with more than three-quarters of them women, providing livelihoods and skills training.

The centre aims to empower returnees and host communities, helping them rebuild sustainable livelihoods, a priority need identified by Afghans returning from Iran.

Over the past year, some 2 million Afghans have returned from Iran, highlighting the urgent need for economic opportunities, especially for women, said UNHCR.