Afghan nationals dominated foreign business trips to Uzbekistan in the first half of 2025, experiencing a staggering 132-fold leap compared to the same period last year, according to Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Agency.
Over 207,500 Afghans journeyed to Uzbekistan for commerce, a significant increase from a mere 1,569 in 2024. Tajikistan secured the second position with over 12,200 business representatives, while Turkmenistan held the third spot with 1,642. Russia, Turkiye, and Kazakhstan saw 451, 276, and 255 commercial visitors, respectively. Other countries contributed an additional 1,177 visitors.
Uzbekistan hosted a total of 223,600 international business delegates during the first six months of 2025. Interestingly, there was a marked decrease in Turkmen commercial travelers, plummeting from almost 38,000 in 2024 to just 1,642 this year. In contrast, commercial excursions from Russia almost tripled, rising from 157 to 451.
Noticeably absent from the 2025 statistics were nations like China, India, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, and the United States, all of which had active commercial travel engagements with Uzbekistan in 2024.
The substantial rise in Afghan arrivals is linked to the inauguration of the ‘Termez’ International Trade Center within the ‘Ayritom’ Free Economic Zone in Surkhandarya. This facility allows foreign citizens visa-free stays of up to 15 days. Afghan and Pakistani citizens are also allowed to lease or acquire commercial spaces within the center.
The Termez center is crucial to Uzbekistan’s plan to elevate bilateral trade with Afghanistan to US$3 billion annually. Commercial ties between the two nations are rapidly solidifying. On August 3, 45 deals valued at US$20 million were finalized in Kabul, encompassing initiatives to establish joint trade associations and provide investment inducements.