IEA seeks to expand economic ties with Central Asian countries

Ministry of Industry and Commerce officials said on Wednesday they will increase efforts to expand economic relations with Central Asian countries in the coming year.

According to officials, Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are interested in expanding economic relations with Afghanistan.

Last week, Kazakhstan’s minister of trade visited Kabul and discussed the issue of expanding trade ties with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

“The two sides discussed increasing the level of trade between the two countries to $3 billion, building transportation infrastructure, railways, regional connectivity and investing in Afghanistan’s mineral resources,” Abdulsalam Jawad, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said.

Economic experts said that if Afghanistan can strengthen economic relations with Central Asian countries, it will have a positive effect on the economic situation of Afghanistan and the region.

“The more our economic relations with Central Asia expand, the more it will help Afghanistan’s economy and trade. Both Afghanistan and Central Asia will gain greatly. The Islamic Emirate should pay attention to this and if our relations with them expand, it will benefit Afghanistan,” Abdul Jabbar Safi, head of the Union of Industrialists, said.

Experts believe that Afghanistan can connect Central Asia to South Asia, and it plays an important role in expanding trade relations in the region.

“I think Afghanistan should start economic development from Central Asian countries, countries that have rich resources and will help Afghanistan’s economic system,” said Taj Mohammad Talash, an economic expert.

Officials of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that the expansion of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, mining, energy production and railway construction in Afghanistan will directly provide employment to thousands of citizens in the country.