U.S., Afghanistan, Uzbekistan discuss creation of free economic zone on Uzbek-Afghan border

AKIPRESS.COM - Representatives of the governments of the United States, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan convened via video teleconference May 27 for the inaugural United States - Afghanistan - Uzbekistan Trilateral meeting.
The meeting was co-chaired by American Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar, and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.
Participants reaffirmed the importance of trilateral discussions to address mutual issues of concern including political, security, economic, and human development matters.
Committed to greater cooperation among themselves, the participants called on countries of the region and the broader international community, to promote the Afghanistan peace process and to support the goal of a durable political settlement preserving the gains of the past 18 years to end the war in that country.
The participants agreed to promote trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan by reviewing and improving legal frameworks, policy reforms, sharing of information, use of appropriate technology, risk management, investment in infrastructure and human resources and removing constraints and bottlenecks, including through the development of the Free Economic Zone at the Termez border crossing.
The countries will deepen cooperation via discussion of construction of railways linking Uzbekistan with ports in Pakistan and beyond, in particular, discussion of the feasibility of construction of railways along the Mazar-e-Sharif-Herat-Bahramcha and Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Torkham routes.
The video teleconference participants expressed support to regional energy projects such as CASA-1000 (the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project), Central Asia Regional Electricity Market (CAREM), multi-lateral development bank electricity transmission projects, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline, and the construction of the 500 kilovolt Surkhan-Puli-Khumri (Khoja-Alvan) power transmission line.
The countries agreed to expand opportunities for people-to-people exchanges and joint training, including at the Afghan Training Center in Termez.
A working group will be established by the countries to implement the decisions made under this trilateral.