Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Trade Soars 50% with Focus on Pharmaceutical Cooperation

The Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Trade announced that during a meeting between Nooruddin Azizi and Abdullah Azizov, head of Uzbekistan’s Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency, both sides discussed expanding trade and economic cooperation, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. According to the ministry, the volume of trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan has risen by 50 percent, which is being seen as a positive development.

In the meeting, Nooruddin Azizi emphasized the import of high-quality medicines from Uzbekistan and stated that the Taliban administration pays serious attention to quality control and fair pricing of medicines in the market. However, in recent years, the population has frequently complained about insufficient oversight of medicine prices and quality in certain areas, an issue that requires practical action and greater transparency from officials.

In response, the head of Uzbekistan’s Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral trade and expressed his country’s interest in expanding economic cooperation, especially in the pharmaceutical sector.

Azizov stated that more than 20 major Uzbek pharmaceutical companies are part of the delegation. He added that these companies have shown interest in investing in Afghanistan and highlighted plans to establish large medicine distribution centers across different zones of the country. If implemented, this initiative could improve citizens’ access to medicines, provided that transparent and accountable oversight is also ensured throughout the process.