KABUL (Pajhwok): The second meeting of the Afghanistan-Belarus Joint Commission for Economic and Trade Cooperation was held in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, with both sides stressing the expansion of economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) said the meeting was co-chaired by Afghan Agriculture Minister Mawlawi Attaullah Omari and Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Yuri Gorlov.
The Afghan delegation, led by Omari, comprised 13 members, including the deputy minister of commerce and industry, the third political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), a representative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and several officials from relevant institutions.
The Belarusian delegation included deputy ministers from the ministries of agriculture and food, industry, public health and mining, as well as an adviser to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry for Asia, Australia and Oceania and other relevant officials.
The ministry said the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in agriculture and livestock, transferring modern technologies, importing and assembling agricultural machinery in Afghanistan, producing chemical fertilisers, processing dairy and food products, and manufacturing industrial machinery.
They also discussed joint investment by companies from the two countries, establishing factories, implementing joint projects, training Afghan specialists and transferring expertise and technology.
Afghan Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmadullah Zahid discussed the production of industrial machinery in Afghanistan, facilitating access for Afghan products to Belarusian markets, holding joint exhibitions and creating opportunities for Belarusian companies to invest in the extraction and processing of Afghanistan’s minerals.
According to the ministry, Zahid also discussed achieving trade balance, increasing Afghan exports to Belarus, investment by Belarusian companies in oil extraction and refining, cooperation on importing petroleum products and establishing practical mechanisms to expand bilateral trade.
The two sides also stressed the need to establish appropriate banking and money-transfer mechanisms to facilitate joint projects and investment.
In agriculture and livestock, the meeting covered improving breeds of beef and dairy cattle, dairy processing, establishing chemical fertiliser factories, producing veterinary medicines and vaccines, training technical staff, importing high-quality Belarusian medicines and investment by Belarusian companies in pharmaceutical production in Afghanistan.
The ministry said joint investment by Belarusian state-owned companies in Afghan state-owned enterprises was another topic discussed.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a joint working group, headed by deputy ministers from both countries, to follow up on and implement the agreements and issues discussed.
The ministry said the commission meets annually, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to continued cooperation and implementing joint agreements in the economic, trade, agriculture, livestock and industrial sectors.
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