KABUL (Pajhwok): Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi says Afghanistan is ready to attract investment from Uzbek and Chinese companies in various sectors.
In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) said Azizi attended and addressed the Surkhandarya-China Business Forum at the Termez International Trade Centre.
The forum was attended by Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev, China’s Minister of Culture, Surkhandarya Governor Ulugbek Kasimov, Balkh Governor Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Tashkent Mawlawi Abdul Ghafar Bahr, Deputy Minister of Mines and Petroleum Sheikh Abdul Rahman Qanit, Head of State-Owned Enterprises Mawlawi Ahmad Jan Bilal and representatives of Afghanistan’s private sector, the statement said.
Azizi discussed expanding trade and economic relations, establishing new transit corridors with Central Asia and China, strengthening bilateral cooperation and creating investment opportunities among Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and China.
He said relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan had entered a new phase of economic cooperation in recent years, with reciprocal visits by officials and business delegations, business forums and agreements between the private sectors of the two countries creating opportunities to expand trade, transit and investment.
Azizi also stressed the expansion of Afghanistan’s economic ties with China, describing it as one of Afghanistan’s key economic partners and an important player in strengthening regional connectivity and developing new trade links between East, Central and South Asia.
He stressed the need to increase Afghanistan’s exports to regional markets, particularly China, and called for Afghan export products to be transported through Uzbekistan’s trade and transit networks to China and other regional countries.
Azizi announced Afghanistan’s readiness to attract investment from Chinese and Uzbek companies in mining, agriculture, agro-processing, energy, machinery, manufacturing and economic infrastructure.
He said joint investment and the processing of raw materials inside Afghanistan could help create sustainable and mutually beneficial opportunities for countries across the region.
Meanwhile, Balkh Governor Mohammad Yousuf Wafa highlighted the friendly relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and spoke about the overall security situation and investment opportunities in Balkh province.
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