Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi and Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, met on Tuesday and discussed increasing Afghanistan’s exports to China, particularly pine nuts, pomegranates, and precious and semi-precious stones such as nephrite, onyx, lapis lazuli, and talc, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement the goal of the meeting was to facilitate direct exports to China in order to reduce transit costs and transportation of Afghan goods, as well as to address the importation of machinery needed for the country.

Azizi and Zhao have agreed to establish a joint working group for further coordination, expanding trade relations, and creating facilities for trade, with the aim of holding regular meetings, the statement read.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, on Sunday inaugurated the start of construction work on the Arghandi Transport Terminal in Paghman District of Kabul Province.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Acting Minister of Transport and Aviation, Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada, representatives from the private sector, and a number of local residents.

Baradar said the initiative was a vital step in the development of transport infrastructure in the country.

He stated that the development and expansion of transport infrastructure is an essential step toward economic growth, national development, and domestic and regional connectivity.

According to him, decades of war and corruption resulted in the sector having been neglected.

He said existing infrastructure has deteriorated due to poor quality construction; public lands have been usurped by individuals; and that highways and roads have been significantly narrowed.

Baradar also pointed out the need for investment in the transport sector; for the recovery of usurped state land; and the identification and restoration of original roads. He said these factors were among the core national objectives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

In line with these goals, construction work on the Arghandi Transport Terminal got underway on Sunday.

Baradar said the Islamic Emirate is not only firmly committed to the development and expansion of transport infrastructure but is also actively pursuing other fundamental strategic objectives.

The Arghandi Transport Terminal in Kabul Province will be constructed on approximately 900 jeribs of land and will cost about 1.285 billion afghanis.

The project is expected to be completed by the private sector within two years.

Upon completion, the terminal will enhance transportation facilities, play a key role in improving the efficiency and organization of logistics and transit operations, reduce transportation costs and traffic congestion, and provide employment opportunities to a large number of citizens.

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.

The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.

The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.

The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.