ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce on Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, on Monday said trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan would maximise chances of regional economic integration and enhance the connectivity among neighbouring countries.
He was addressing the opening session of the 8th round of the three-day talks over the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). Afghanistan’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani was also present on the occasion.
While addressing the meeting, the adviser said smooth transit trade for enhancing connectivity with Central Asian Republics (CARs), connecting regional trade with Gwadar Port, and finalising the APTTA and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Afghanistan in February 2021 are the main agendas of the trade negotiation between the two neighbouring countries.
He said Pakistan has allowed Afghanistan to use Gwadar and Bin Qasim ports for their transit trade as a goodwill gesture to enhance the economic ties and hoped that investment-related matters would be resolved in the bilateral dialogue.
The adviser informed that the two countries would also discuss excess of Indian trade items through mutual borders in three days’ negotiation, as well as the potential setting up of economic zones to enhance bilateral investment and trade opportunities. ”
Further, he hoped that trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was affected due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, would also be revived in the coming months as both sides were reviewing the use of technology for the smooth functioning of bilateral trade.
While addressing the session, Ghoryani said that the government of Afghanistan under the leadership of President Ashraf Ghani was committed to providing Pakistan with all facilities for increasing trade and investment opportunities on both sides of the border.
The Afghan minister said that through the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Afghanistan wants to export its products to the South Asian market via Pakistan for connecting the regional economy and trade.
Later, Federal Secretary for Commerce Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqi and Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal highlighted issues related to trade and mutual cooperation between both sides and gave proposals for the resolution of the problems.
It is pertinent to mention here that the two countries, in the previous seven rounds of negotiations, signed a document titled “A Shared Vision between Afghanistan and Pakistan, to Support Peace and Stability” in wider regional interest.
Dawood said that both the countries had agreed to keep the shared vision, its commitments, and previous commitments under regular review, to ensure measurable, clear and irreversible steps towards more productive economic and trade relations between them.
He said in the coming month, he would lead his delegation to negotiate on the 9th round of APTTA with Afghanistan and all the issues would be resolved through the common agenda of peace and prosperity.
