TASHKENT, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani have agreed to seek international support for the construction of the trans-Afghan railway corridor, said the Uzbek president's press service on Wednesday.
During a phone conversation, the two presidents agreed to send "a joint appeal to leading countries in the world and international financial institutions for supporting the practical implementation of the project for the construction of the trans-Afghan railway corridor," said the press service.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, trade turnover between the two countries has grown significantly, and the international trade center set up near the border has created unique opportunities for entrepreneurs from both countries, it said.
Last month, Uzbekistan announced a plan to raise its annual trade volume with Afghanistan to 2 billion U.S. dollars by 2023 and to resume direct flights between the two countries starting next year.
Uzbekistan shares a border with Afghanistan in the south. It has been participating in the socio-economic revival of the war-torn Asian country, including the building of railways and electricity lines. Enditem
