Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: President Ashraf Ghani who is on a two-day official visit in Iran on Monday stressed on bolstering bilateral ties including economic relations between the two countries and said poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan and the region will not overcome sans mutual cooperation among regional countries.
Ghani expressed the remarks at a ceremony in Tehran where Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture’s (ICCIMA) high ranking officials attended.
Concentrating on five economic sectors including location, water, mines, fuel and gas and investment, the President told the session that Asia will be changed into an economic continent in upcoming two decades and trade relations of Iran with China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan through Afghanistan will create a big change in the region’s economy.
He said Afghanistan is ready to cooperate in infrastructural fields of research, mobilization and investment. Terming corruption as biggest hurdle for economic development, he said the tax which was taken from you as bride is no more acceptable for us.
Hinting at the balance of Afghanistan’s imports which are thirtyfold more than the exports, he said the country’s location requires that Afghanistan’s trade should not be one-sided.
He termed effective utilization of water and land, and investment in agriculture and changing Afghanistan into an exporter of foods as main goals of the Afghan government.
He said mines, fuel and gas are one of most important economic sectors in the country, as primary researches reveal that 33 percent of Afghanistan’s mines have been estimated up to $3 trillion. He said Afghanistan will be changed into biggest exporters of iron and copper in upcoming decade.
He termed establishment of a credible and problems-free trade and transit system as important for Afghanistan and the region, and said the real volume of Afghansitan and iran is not known therefore trade of the two countries should turn regular, and illegal commerce should be prevented.
“Poverty and unemployment in the region cannot be solved without mutual cooperation. Security and stability will not be ensured until poverty is not overcome from Afghanistan and as well as from the region,” he concluded.
