Kabul, Afghanistan – Afghan and foreign investors held a joint meeting in capital city Kabul to improve business ties and discuss opportunities for investment in Afghanistan.
This marks the first meeting since the takeover last August, which came weeks after local businesses held exhibition to showcase domestic products in Kabul.
“We share our problems with each other, and every side shares the problems with officials. We hope the meeting will have a good outcome,” said Sultan Mohammad Safi, the deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, as TOLOnews quoted.
“We asked foreign investors to have an agreement with national investors to boost trade relations with other countries,” said Khairuddin Mayal, another deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment.
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last August, the country’s economy has greatly been affected, where many business closed and investors stepped back.
In the joint meeting, a number of foreign investors said they will consider investing in various field in Afghanistan after examining the available opportunities.
“Afghans need Turkish investors for experiments and project engineering. We will stay at the table together and will talk to determine the fields and projects,” said Fatih Chayabatmaz, a representative of independent Turkish investors in Afghanistan, as local media reported.
“We are looking to promote bilateral trade ties that have decreased over the past five years,” said Sartaj Ahmad Khan, a coordinator for the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
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This came at a time local businesses are holding exhibition to showcase domestic products in Kabul.
The exhibition initiated by the Afghanistan Traders & Investors Union (ATIU), with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), started on Tuesday at Qasr-e-Naween of Afghan capital Kabul.
“In this three-day exhibition, various local and foreign products have been set for display and sell in more than a hundred booths,” said the Director of Government Media and Information Center (GMIC), Inamullah Samangani on a thread.
According to Samangani, the industrial sectors need to be supported in order to reach self-sufficiency, saying “this is the time for us to rely on our own strength and increase our exports and domestic products.”
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) said that efforts are underway in support of domestic products and private sectors, hopping such exhibitions will be held outside the country to promote Afghan products.
“We are hoping for a day that such exhibitions will be held in Arabic countries like the UAE, and other countries like China and Central Asia as well as neighboring countries,” said Nooruddin Azizi, acting Minister of the MoIC, as TOLOnews quoted.
Meanwhile, participants of the exhibition expressed optimism, saying that such exhibitions can increase markets for their products in an international level.
Women entrepreneurs also attended the exhibition.
