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“We are committed to fully facilitate Afghan transit trade,” says Pakistan’s Ambassador.
AT-KABUL: The fourth ‘Made in Pakistan Exhibition’ kicked off on Thursday here, attracting a large number of businessmen and women.
The trade fair will continue for three days, organized by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).
Sixty booths of paint and hardware, heating ventilation air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR), electronic goods, building material, leather goods, gems and jewellery, furniture, services sector, textile and handicrafts have been placed for public display.
“Organizing such exhibitions is in the interest of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industries (MoCI) Muzamil Shinwari.
Urging Pakistani traders for joint investment in Afghanistan, he said that the two countries were enjoying good trade relations. “We must strive hard to increase the bilateral trade volume to $5 billion as agreed by the Afghan and Pakistani high ranking officials,” he said, adding that Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement will be revised to facilitate Afghan traders more.
The deputy minister said that traders in both countries are facing transport-related challenges which should be addressed by the respective governments.
He suggested that two countries shall formulate and sign an agreement to provide transportation facilities to the traders. “Afghan-Pak trade volume was supposed to increase through mutual commercial ventures, but unfortunately it was decreased to $2 billion from $2.5 billion,” he noted.
He said that the Jalalabad-Peshawar railway track project is very important for both countries. “The two countries shall complete the project on time.”
Deputy of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries Khanjan Alkozai asked the two governments to keep politics away from trade.
He said that economic growth would help in elimination of extremism and terrorism in the two countries.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Abrar Hussein said that running of such exhibitions would lead to a new chapter of economic cooperation between the both countries.
He said, “There are two primary reasons for us to have better economic relation with Afghanistan: First is Afghanistan’s strategic importance; and second Pakistan’s cultures and geographical proximity to it. We have mutuality of interests and shared objectives.”
He highlighted that due to geographical proximity Pakistan is Afghanistan’s route to foreign market and it is a largest and most important trading partnership. “We are committed to fully facilitate Afghan transit trade to Pakistan,” he underlined.
