Afghanistan Tops Business Travel to Uzbekistan in First Half of 2026

According to official statistics from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan recorded the highest number of business trips to the country in the first six months of 2026. The National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan reported that during this period, 205,937 Afghan citizens entered Uzbekistan for commercial and business purposes. This figure places Afghanistan at the top of the list of countries with the most business travel to Uzbekistan. Following Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan ranked second and third, respectively. Uzbek media have attributed the increase in economic interactions between Kabul and Tashkent, the expansion of trade cooperation, and the ease of crossing through shared border routes as the main factors driving the growth of business trips between the two countries. Economic experts say that the development of trade exchanges between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan could open new opportunities for regional cooperation, goods transit, and market expansion in both countries. Afghanistan shares a northern border with Uzbekistan, and the Hairatan port is considered one of the key commercial gateways between the two sides.