OREANDA-NEWS. December 22, 2009. A delegation of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies of Afghanistan led by the Deputy Minister Baryalay Hassam visited Uzbekistan to meet with Uzbektelecom Director General Shukhrat Sadikov in Tashkent, reported the press-centre of Uzbektelecom.  

During the meeting, the guests were familiarized with the state and prospects of development of Uzbektelecom's telecommunication network, as well as a number of projects implemented by the company.

Uzbektelecom joint-stock company is implementing nine large projects in line with the Presidential Resolution "On additional measures to further development production and social infrastructure" dated 20 January 2009.

In particular, one of the most important projects is construction of an international communication line in the following directions: Andijan-Osh, Kungrad-Beyneu, Denau-Tursunzade, Termez-Hayraton.

Fiber-optic communication line has been built within the framework of this project in the direction to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Transfer system equipment has been delivered, installed and put into operation testing.

"Uzbekistan is boosting support of Afghanistan," Baryalay Hassam noted. "We have got acquainted with the information on dynamically growing achievements of ICT sphere in Uzbekistan. The experience of cooperation of both countries' national telecom operators shows that networks and communication facilities of Uzbektelecom are developing".

"Our interest in further collaboration in the field of telecommunications, increase of traffic capacity and transit, expansion of the international Internet channel capacity is increasing more and more," he added.

"Today the national telecom operator of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Afgan Telecom Corp – is extending the volumes of entrance to the neighboring countries, including Uzbekistan, and Uzbektelecom here is its most strategic partner," the Afghan telecom official said.

During the meeting in Tashkent, the sides discussed issues of perspectives of further cooperation in the field of telecommunications, increase of voice traffic capacity and organization of transit, as well as expansion of the international Internet channel capacity.