Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to start air transit in 2 months

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan and Pakistan have signed trade agreements and decided the transportation of trade goods by air in the form of "multi-model air transit" which will be implemented within two months.

In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said the two-day talks were held between the delegation led by the acting minister Nooruddin Azizi and the delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Commerce of Pakistan, Mohammad Khurram Agha.

In the two-day talks, the separation of business from politics, the consideration of the interests of the people of both countries, and the development of trade and transit relations without obstacles came up for discussions.

The two sides also agreed to finalize the long-pending Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) within the next two months, he added.

APTTA is a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2010 by Pakistan and Afghanistan that calls for greater facilitation in the movement of goods between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to allow the cross-border movement of cargo trucks on temporary permits for a year as a trial period from May this year.

An agreement for the transportation of trade goods by air in the form of "multi-model air transit" will be implemented within the next two months, according to the statement.

As part of Pakistan’s recent measures regarding Afghanistan’s transit goods, it was agreed that within a week, the mandatory bank guarantee should be removed and insurance should be used as before. In consultation with the parties, the necessary measures will be taken to remove other obstacles.

Both sides agreed to abandon goods-to-goods trade (barter) and establish and develop banking relationships.

The export of coal from Afghanistan to Pakistan was discussed, and the Pakistani side expressed its readiness to buy it at the international price. It was agreed that disinfection of exported cotton in Afghanistan is enough.

The visit of the high-ranking delegation of Pakistan led by the deputy minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Mohammad Khurram Agha, was on the official invitation of the MoCI of Afghanistan at aimed at enhancing trade and business relations between the two countries.

sa