According to the Ministry of Energy, on August 17, 2025, the Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov and the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan Ismatilla Irgashev met with the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul.

Heads and senior staff of the fuel and energy companies of the two countries attended the meeting.

The significance of the July 3 dialogue between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, held on the sidelines of the summit in Azerbaijan’s Khankendi, was acknowledged during the meeting. It was emphasized that consideration of issues related to the expansion of bilateral cooperation, the implementation of joint projects, and the support of initiatives will contribute to the formation of a new stage of relations and strengthen strategic partnership.

During the negotiations between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, agreements were signed on four significant projects. In particular, the “Khuja-Alvon” substation will be expanded through the construction of a 500 kV Surkhan – Puli-Khumri power transmission line with a length of 200.6 kilometers, the “Arganda” substation will increase by 500/220 kV to 800 MV, the “Buthak” substation (Kabul) and the “Sheikh Misri” substation (Nangarhar) will connect a new double-circuit 220 kV power transmission line with a length of 125 km, the “Sheikh Misri” substation (Nangarhar) will be rebuilt to a capacity of 2x25 MVA and 2x40 MVA.

The parties reached an agreement on the implementation of these projects within the framework of the International Energy Conference scheduled for September 6-7, 2025, in Kabul.

According to the planned deadlines, the projects should be completed in the first quarter of 2027. These initiatives are aimed at strengthening and developing the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in the field of energy.

The importance of timely and effective completion of all stages of work, as well as the need to use local resources during the construction process, was emphasized. The sides exchanged views on expanding cooperation in energy infrastructure modernization, the introduction of digital technologies into payment systems, and the training of qualified specialists in the energy sector.

Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA