Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Uzbekistan and Afghanistan reached an agreement to extend electricity supplies until 2024. This was reported by the press service of the Afghan energy company DABS.

On 14 December, representatives of National Electric Networks and DABS discussed issues of electricity supplies from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan.

DABS President Alhaj Mullah Muhammad Hanif Hamza, during a meeting with the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, thanked Uzbekistan for its cooperation.

During the negotiations, the parties discussed the issues of increasing electricity supplies to Afghanistan, reducing electricity tariffs, resolving visa problems for employees of the Afghan company and the planned construction of the Surkhan-Puli-Khumri power transmission line.

The DABS chief stressed that technical problems are hampering the provision of electricity to public, industrial, commercial and government facilities in Afghanistan. He stressed that it is necessary to resolve these issues and increase the supply of electricity.

In turn, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov said that Uzbekistan is currently solving technical problems with power supply through emergency measures and modernization of three facilities. He assured the Afghan side that as soon as these issues are resolved, in accordance with the agreement reached, Uzbekistan will supply electricity to Afghanistan.

He also said that Uzbekistan purchases electricity at higher prices from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan compared to previous years. This is due to the fact that electricity is produced from gas and oil, which increases its cost.

The head of the Ministry of Energy expressed his readiness to also purchase coal and oil from Afghanistan.