TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 15. Uzbekistan and
the United Arab Emirates have discussed the advancement of the
Trans-Afghan railway project, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid
Khodjaev wrote on his social media account, Trend reports.
The statement followed Khodjaev’s meeting in Abu Dhabi with
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime
Minister of the UAE.
“In particular, we discussed prospects for advancing the Navoi
logistics platform together with AD Ports as an intermodal hub, as
well as the development of the Trans-Afghan railway project, where
we see the UAE and Etihad Rail as natural and capable partners,
given their expertise in rail infrastructure and logistics. This
corridor is intended to provide Central Asia with direct access to
Pakistan's seaports and strengthen regional trade and integration,”
Khodjaev stated.
According to him, the sides also reviewed a number of promising
areas for future cooperation, including the development of Islamic
finance in Uzbekistan as a new and promising area of partnership
with the UAE.
“It is important to note that in March 2026, President Shavkat
Mirziyoyev signed the Law on Islamic Banking, which will enter into
force on June 29, 2026, creating a solid legal foundation for
Sharia-compliant financial activities in Uzbekistan,” he noted.
Khodjaev added that, within discussions on the final stage of
Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization, the
importance of advancing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA) between Uzbekistan and the UAE was also
emphasized.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and the UAE have formed a joint investment
portfolio comprising around 100 projects with a total value
exceeding $20 billion, reflecting the steady expansion of bilateral
economic cooperation and the growing strategic depth of the
partnership.
