Afghanistan has lifted restrictions on rail freight transit for Uzbek operators, Uzbekistan’s transport ministry has announced.

Back in August, officials of the neighbouring countries agreed to "mobilise all opportunities for the development of transit cargo transportation".

This approach was on December 26 affirmed during discussions between Uzbekistan’s transport minister Ilkhom Makhkamov and Afghanistan’s acting transport and civil aviation minister Hamidullah Ohunzoda.

The parties also agreed to establish fees and payments for international road transport on a parity basis from this year.

In addition, Uzbekistan remains committed to accelerating the implementation of the trilateral Trans-Afghan Railway, running from Uzbekistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan, and to providing related preferential rail transportation tariffs.

Several years ago, Uzbekistan initiated work on increasing the role of its southern export routes in foreign trade. In November 2021, the first Uzbek road transit cargo arrived in Pakistan, with the Pakistani side simplifying border entry for Uzbek drivers.

In March 2022, Pakistan launched meat exports to Uzbek consumers. Another development saw India send transit cargo to Uzbekistan via Pakistani and Afghan territory for the first time. In May last year, deliveries of Uzbek goods in the opposite direction began.

An international trade centre is being built in Termez in southern Uzbekistan to serve the export routes running through Afghanistan.