First Panjshir emerald expo will launch in under three weeks

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) says the first expo of Panjshir emeralds is expected to be held in the province to boost exports.

The ministry’s spokesman Abdulsalam Javad Akhundzadeh said the expo will be held over three days in about three weeks and the main purpose of it is to boost exports of precious and semi-precious stones.

The expo also aims to show Panjshir’s handicrafts and culture, develop livestock farms and agricultural products, showcase traditional medicinal plants, encourage people to use domestic products and attract investment, Akhundzadeh added.

A number of experts said that emeralds are the second most sought-after stone in the world after diamonds.

They stated that by selling emeralds, Afghanistan can considerably boost its revenue.

“Emeralds are the second most precious stone after diamond, and it can be found in Afghanistan and some other countries. In terms of quality, Afghanistan’s emeralds are unique in the world. Therefore, I think that holding such expos can introduce more Afghan emeralds to the world,” said Abdul Nasir Rashtia, an economist.

So far, several rounds of tenders have been held for emeralds mined in Panjshir by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, and because of this, millions of dollars worth of emeralds have been sold.

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