KABUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Traders from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have signed a series of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) valued at 514.8 million U.S. dollars, Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced Sunday.

"The agreements were inked during an Afghanistan-Uzbekistan business conference in Kabul attended by Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi and Shavkat Abdurazzakov, governor of Uzbekistan's Namangan province," according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Bilateral relations between the two neighbors have gained strong momentum. In February, Afghan and Uzbek businesses signed 25 MoUs worth more than 300 million dollars in Kabul, underscoring deepening economic ties.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Afghan government has focused on expanding diplomatic, trade, transit and economic links with the international community, particularly with neighboring and regional countries. ■