Syed Fazl-e-Haider
Tashkent is positioning itself as a mediator between Taliban-led Afghanistan and the international community, advocating for integration rather than isolation since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021.
Uzbekistan aims to turn Afghanistan into a strategic trade hub, offering access to South Asian markets and ports while promoting economic integration through infrastructure, transit routes, and trade expansion.
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have signed numerous agreements to grow bilateral trade to $3 billion, expand electricity cooperation, and establish a joint market and free economic zone, reinforcing interdependence and economic stability.
On April 1, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated in an interview that he is willing to cooperate with the European Union and other international partners in a way that supports Afghanistan’s development “to overcome the current crises” (President of Uzbekistan, April 1). He added, “I am convinced that stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan and its reconstruction are in the common interests of the Central Asian countries and the European Union” (Tolo News, April 2). On April 2, the Taliban government in Kabul welcomed the statement. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said, “[Mirziyoyev’s] comments reflect truths that must be acknowledged. The two nations, in a spirit of sincere neighborliness and shared interests of their peoples, are moving forward with their policies” (Tolo News, April 2).
Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021, following the withdrawal of the U.S. and European troops from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan has demonstrated increasing interest in facilitating Afghanistan’s integration into international institutions. Uzbekistan’s primary interests in this are rooted in geostrategic benefits afforded to both Uzbekistan and its Central Asian neighbors. Tashkent’s Afghan policy is set to transform Afghanistan into a transit country for Uzbekistan to South Asia, opening the window for its new regional partnerships. Afghanistan additionally has the potential to become a market and transit country for Uzbekistan’s products and value-added goods. Uzbekistan’s deepening partnership with Afghanistan could turn its southern neighbor into a key economic and political partner in the region (see EDM, December 13, 2017).
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