Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, announced that Tashkent and Kabul have jointly formed a commission to address matters related to the construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal in Afghanistan. 

According to Irgashev, a third joint meeting between the Afghan and Uzbekistan delegations is planned to take place in Tashkent in the coming days. The meeting will build upon prior discussions, with both countries working to ensure mutual interests are respected as the project progresses. 

Ismatullah Irgashev stated that Afghanistan has the right to utilize water from the Amu Darya and that this resource should be used according to agreed-upon allocations.

The special representative for Uzbekistan on Afghanistan said, “It’s important to note that Afghanistan and the Afghan people have the right to make use of the Amu Darya’s waters as a primary matter. In this regard, there are no concerns or challenges. The key issue is how much water should be drawn from the Amu Darya. Here, the interests of all countries using the Amu's water resources must be taken into account, and a third issue is that the water level in the Amu Darya varies each year. This means that in one year, the water level may rise, while in another, it may decrease.”

In his interview with the news agency, Ismatullah Irgashev said: “We have established a joint delegation for the construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal. So far, two meetings have been held. One was in Kabul, and the second took place in Mazar-e-Sharif. The third meeting will soon be held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.”

Abdul Sadiq Hamidzoy, a political analyst, told TOLOnews, “Afghanistan’s right to the Amu Darya has been established, and there is no need for anyone to affirm or deny this matter.”

The Qosh Tepa Canal is the largest irrigation canal in Afghanistan, with the interim government stating that the budget for this project will be sourced from the country's mining revenue. Work on the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal has reached the Andkhoy district of Faryab province.