Uzbekistan has signed an agreement with Afghanistan on the refining of crude oil. It will be transported by rail from the Afghan “land port” of Hairatan to the Fergana oil refinery, Ariana News reports today, September 10.
The first batches have already been shipped. Under the agreement, 100 thousand tons of crude oil will be processed.
Negotiations between Uzbekistan and the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (IEA, the name given to the country by the Taliban)*) have been underway for several months amid the IEA’s efforts to become self-sufficient. Kabul is trying to start oil refining as early as 2022. Last year, Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co. (CAPEIC), based in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, signed a major oil production contract with the Islamic Emirate, pledging to invest $540 million in crude oil production by 2026.
According to Ariana News, the Ferghana oil refinery is the only oil refinery in Uzbekistan that has the technical capacity to process Afghan crude oil.
*Terrorist organization banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.
