KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan and Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan have agreed to expand cooperation in trade, transit and investment.
The first meeting of the joint working committee between Afghanistan and Tatarstan was held in Kabul on Thursday, co-chaired by Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi and Tatarstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Oleg Vladimirovich Korobchenko, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement.
Representatives of the Ministry of Water and Energy, the Administrative Office and several state-owned companies also attended the meeting.
The Tatarstan delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Food Marat Azatovich Zyabbarov, Yadran Company Director-General Gleb Sergeyevich Makarov, Rustam Rinatovich Khabibulin, head of the Russian Trade Centre in Afghanistan, and representatives of 15 major economic and commercial companies from Tatarstan, the statement said.
The meeting discussed expanding economic and trade relations, increasing exports of Afghan agricultural products and cotton to Russian markets, and importing essential commodities from Tatarstan, including sugar, petroleum products, liquefied gas and wheat.
The two sides also discussed the Tatarstan-Astrakhan-Turkmenbashi transit corridor, facilitating the transportation of commercial goods through the Aqina and Torghundi crossings, and expanding transit routes.
Both sides emphasised the need to utilise existing capacities to strengthen regional connectivity, facilitate the movement of goods and reduce transit barriers, the statement added.
The Tatarstan delegation expressed readiness to provide technical cooperation in agriculture, logistics, transport and transit, mining, and water transportation from Panjshir to Kabul.
Another key issue discussed was introducing Afghan commercial and manufacturing companies to Tatarstan, identifying new investment opportunities and creating opportunities for direct cooperation between the private sectors of the two sides.
At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue the work of the joint committee and hold online meetings to follow up on the issues discussed, assess progress in implementing the agreements and coordinate practical measures to further expand economic and trade relations.
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