Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed electricity contract worth $243 million

KABUL: The Taliban signed contracts for four electricity projects with Uzbekistan worth approximately $243 million in Kabul. The projects focus on the transmission and distribution of electricity across various regions of the country. The ceremony was attended by Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Jurabek Mirzamukhamedov, the Energy Minister of Uzbekistan. With the implementation of these projects, Afghanistan is expected to receive 800 to 1,000 megawatts of electricity annually from Uzbekistan, with completion anticipated within 18 months. Currently, only about 40% of the Afghan population has access to electricity, with the majority of the country’s power being imported. In a separate meeting, Abdul Ghani Baradar and the Uzbek Energy Minister discussed economic and energy cooperation. The Uzbek minister expressed his country’s readiness to execute the projects on time and with quality, sharing their expertise in various sectors with Afghanistan.