ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan and India on Thursday agreed to “create a joint chamber of commerce, and address outstanding issues related to [Iran's] Chabahar Port to strengthen trade and transit collaboration” between the two countries, a statement issued by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said.
Afghanistan’s Interim Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi arrived in New Delhi yesterday to advance bilateral trade and investment cooperation with India upon the invitation of the government. The commerce minister's visit comes after interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India in October on a five-day trip. The diplomatic visit between the two countries comes amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which has strained relations.
In a post on X on Thursday, the commerce ministry said that India and Afghanistan have agreed on steps to boost trade cooperation and to revitalize Chabahar linkages.
“Azizi met with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar in New Delhi to discuss expanding economic cooperation between the two countries,” the statement said.
It said that the two sides held detailed discussions on “enhancing the operational capacity of the Chabahar Port, appointing new commercial attachés, and improving visa facilitation for members of Afghanistan’s private sector.”
“Both delegations agreed to reactivate the previously established joint working group, create a joint chamber of commerce, and address outstanding issues related to the Chabahar Port in order to strengthen trade and transit collaboration,” it added.
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