Uzbekistan and Tatarstan have jointly explored new opportunities for regional trade, focusing on a cargo transit corridor through Termez, bordering with Afghanistan. The two sides held a conference titled ‘Surkhandarya-Tatarstan’ where they discussed expanding economic and transport cooperation including potential trade through duty-free mechanisms.
KABUL POST - The Termez International Trade Center, a key player in this initiative, is actively inviting businesses to set up assembly and manufacturing operations offering incentives like tax-free imports of agricultural goods. Companies like Leto Group, which exports tomatoes to Tatarstan are already utilizing this corridor.
Discussions at the conference also highlighted the strategic importance of Termez in the broader International North-South Transport Corridor which seeks to improve connectivity between Central Asia, South Asia and access to Indian Ocean ports. Akramjan Nematov, First Deputy Director of Uzbekistan's Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies, emphasized that Termez is becoming a crucial link for regional trade.
The development aligns with efforts to strengthen trade routes across Central Asia and beyond with notable visits such as that of Tatarstan’s President Rustam Minnikhanov, stressing the growing interest in the area's economic potential.