TASHKENT, Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan has fully reopened its only border crossing with Afghanistan, which had been closed to travelers since the Taliban took power in 2021, as it seeks to foster trade links with its neighbor.
The five former Soviet republics of Central Asia — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — had feared the Taliban takeover would lead to the spread of radical Islamism in the region.
But four years after the Taliban seized power, economic cooperation is overriding their initial security concerns.
“The Termez-Hairatan bridge crossing point, linking Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, is operational again. Travelers can now travel directly and safely between the two countries,” the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday.
It added that the visa regime between the two countries remained in place.
