Connect with us

Business

Afghanistan working on plans to expand ties through railway network 

Published

on

(Last Updated On: April 29, 2022)

Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA), said Friday they are working to expand economic ties with neighboring countries through railway projects.

The director general of the Afghan Railways, Bakht-u-Rehman Sharafat, says they are working on plans to develop the railway system in Afghanistan and to use this form of transport for exports.

He said that Russia and Kazakhstan have also shown interest in the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project, and some Central Asian countries have also asked to join the Afghanistan-Iran railway project.

“We intend to designate the port of Aqina for the import of petroleum products and Andkhoy port for dry products; we have also started working on all the ports to solve problems,” said Sharafat.

Private sector members say the railway projects play a key role in the country’s mining sector and the export of dried and fresh fruits. They have inturn called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to continue its efforts to expand this sector.

“Railway is one of the most important means of transportation in the country and in this way we are able to deliver our exports to different markets of the world in a timely manner,” said Abdul Jabar Safi, the head of the Industrialists Association.

Economists say that if Afghanistan’s railways are connected to neighboring countries, the country will soon be able to enter world markets by exporting saffron, minerals, carpets and other goods.

This comes after Uzbekistan started building a $5 billion railway across Afghanistan to link up with Pakistan’s seaports, Pakistani website News International reported last month.

The project is being driven by Uzbekistan, and was launched after a meeting in Uzbek capital Tashkent in February, in which officials agreed on a roadmap for the 600km line connecting the Uzbek and Pakistan networks via Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul.

“This trans-Afghan project is the most economical and shortest route connecting Central Asia with the Pakistani ports of Karachi, Gwadar and Qasim,” said Pakistani minister of state and chair of the country’s Board of Investment (BOI), Muhammad Azfar Ahsan after the meeting.

“The Termez-Kabul-Peshawar project could be a game changer for the region’s future,” he said.

Business

Pakistan’s commerce delegation wraps up ‘successful’ trip to Kabul

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 28, 2024)

Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires for Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani said in a video message on Wednesday that the recent talks between Islamabad’s commerce delegation and Afghan officials had been “successful” and that he hoped this would give fresh impetus to bilateral trade between the two countries.

“I’m happy to report that this was a successful visit and both sides have agreed to work together for mutual benefit on a number of areas.

“They will facilitate transit, they will facilitate bilateral trade and they will take all possible measures that create an environment for continuous and productive trade and economic relations between the two countries,” he said.

The delegation, led by Commerce Ministry Secretary Khurram Agha, arrived in Kabul on Monday and had numerous talks on various issues with Islamic Emirate officials.

The visit came amid deteriorating bilateral relations following several suicide attacks in Pakistan in the last couple of months that Islamabad attributes to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, a group they claim is based in Afghanistan.

Diplomatic tensions between the two countries over the last few months have led to economic losses, as key border crossings for trade and travel have closed intermittently, resulting in goods trucks being held up at border posts.

Afghanistan’s Minister for Industry and Commerce Nurudin Azizi meanwhile said the IEA had held fruitful negotiations in a cordial environment with the visiting delegation.

“We discussed in detail with the Pakistani side specific issues related to heavy transport vehicles that will be resolved,” he said.

“We will achieve positive results as our discussions remained productive.”

Azizi said Afghanistan expected to sign a formal agreement with Pakistan within six months, allowing Pakistani trucks to enter Afghanistan and travel to the Central Asian states and Afghan trucks to go all the way to the Pakistani port cities of Karachi and Gwadar.

Apart from discussing trade-related issues, the two sides also focused on movement of passengers, patients and businesspeople across their common border during these talks.

Azizi noted uninterrupted trade and business between Kabul and Islamabad would play a significant role in creating a peaceful environment between the two countries and facilitate their economic development.

He said the two sides also pledged to enhance their existing trade volume, adding that both countries could become ideal markets for each other if they did not allow business to be affected by any geopolitical tensions.

Azizi also said Afghanistan could export agricultural products to China and other countries via Pakistan’s ports and cities.

Continue Reading

Business

Turkey’s 77 keen to start up cement plant in Jawzjan

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 27, 2024)

Turkish construction company 77 officials have met with the acting minister of mines and petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, about investing in a cement factory in Yatim Taq area of Jawzjan province.

The minister, Shahabuddin Dalawar, has said the ministry will cooperate with the company but first needs a proposal, including details around how they plan to implement the project as well as social development plans.

Turkey’s 77 company has been working on electricity generation projects in Afghanistan for several years.

A number of industrialists say that if more investment is made in the cement production sector, not only will domestic demand be met, but the country’s cement will also be exported.

At the moment, cement is being produced by private companies in the provinces of Kandahar, Parwan and Herat.

Continue Reading

Business

Pakistan delegation discusses solutions with Azizi to resolve trade issues

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

Officials of the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday held a meeting with the visiting delegation of Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce where they discussed challenges around trade relations between the two countries.

The Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi said due to recent political tensions, trade and transit relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have faced problems. He said efforts are being made to find solutions to the existing problems and to distance political issues from trade issues.

The visiting delegation is in Kabul at the invitation of the ministry of commerce and industry.

Azizi said the Pakistani delegation said at the meeting that all commercial, transit and economic issues between the two countries will be discussed and efforts will be made to keep trade issues separate from political issues.

“We want to talk about issues that are especially in the field of trade and transit, and we want to prioritize all issues related to trade, we are trying to separate trade and transit from political issues,” said Azizi.

He also expressed hope that his meeting with the Pakistani delegation will help solve the existing challenges and improve and expand trade and transit relations between the two countries.

According to economic experts, since Afghanistan is a transit route between Central Asia and South Asia, the Islamic Emirate can use it to pressurize Pakistan so as not to create trade problems.

“Pressure should be put on Pakistan with the same means we have so that the agreement signed between us and Pakistan and they are forced to comply. We must use this agreement and use it correctly and we should be emotional and not say hostile words, but we want our right,” said Seyed Masoud, an economic expert.

Officials from the ministry also said that talks were held on other issues, including implementing the PTA preferential trade agreement or TAD, finalizing negotiations about APPTA, determining the date of air transit, 24-hour operations in the ports of Torkham, Chaman, and Spin Boldak.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 Ariana News. All rights reserved!