Afghanistan signs $5 million deal to import medicines from Uzbekistan

A delegation from Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical sector has signed a $5 million agreement with five major Uzbek pharmaceutical companies to import medicines from Uzbekistan, officials said.

The 35-member delegation from Balkh province signed the agreements during a visit to Tashkent aimed at expanding pharmaceutical trade between the two countries.

Officials at the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment said the deal could help meet up to 25 percent of Afghanistan’s medicine demand through imports from Uzbekistan.

Mohammad Sadiq Mohammadi, head of the pharmaceutical union in Balkh, said contracts worth nearly $5 million had been finalized with Uzbek companies for the supply of medicines to Afghanistan.

The Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment also described Uzbek medicines as affordable for Afghan traders and said the agreements could help address a significant portion of the country’s pharmaceutical needs.

Economic analysts said medicines produced in Uzbekistan are considered high-quality and reasonably priced, while also emphasizing the importance of strengthening domestic pharmaceutical production in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan continues to rely heavily on imported medicines, and reduced trade with Pakistan has increased the country’s dependence on pharmaceutical imports from alternative markets.