Pakistan and Afghanistan to expand bilateral trade up to US$ 5 billion

Kabul, May 18, 2014 (PPI-OT): Pakistan and Afghanistan have underscored the need for taking practical measures to enhance the bilateral trade from the existing US$ 2.4 billion to US$ 5 billion in the years ahead. This was discussed in a meeting between Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Syed Abrar Hussain, and a delegation of Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industries (PAJCCI) and senior government officials, led by the Afghan Deputy Minister for Trade, Mozammil Shinwari, which met the Ambassador in Kabul today.

Both sides discussed the prospects of expanding the bilateral trade and the problems facing the traders’ community of the two neighbouring countries. The Ambassador informed the delegation that the Government of Pakistan wanted to encourage and improve regional trade, particularly with its neighbouring countries which was vital for the economic development of the region.

“In order to improve regional connectivity and trade with the neighbouring countries, Pakistan would like to construct a Motorway and Railway Lines from Peshawar to Jalalabad and Chaman to Spin Boldak, which would play an instrumental role in the economic development of the region,” the Ambassador told the delegation.

Similarly, Pakistan also wanted to extend the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) to Tajikistan which was highly beneficial for the economic prosperity of the three countries. The Ambassador asked the traders’ community to invest in Pakistan because it provided friendly-investment environment to foreign investors.

He also assured the delegation to facilitate the Afghan traders by addressing their problems relating to Customs’ Clearance etc. The meeting also discussed the forthcoming 5th Meeting of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APTTCA) in Islamabad and expressed the hope that it would help to address the traders’ problems as well as enhance the bilateral trade.

The delegation was comprised of Mozammil Shinwari, Deputy Minister for Trade, Khan Jan Alokozay, President Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industries (PAJCCI), Younas Momand Vice-President (PAJCCI), Dawood Moosa Legal Advisor (PAJCCI), Nizamuddin Tajzada Director (PAJCCI), Dr. Najeebullah Wardak Director General (Customs), Wafiullah Iftekhar, CEO Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) etc, says a press release received here today from Kabul.

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