The development of Turkmen-Afghan trade and economic cooperation is discussed in Ashgabat

On March 4, 2024, the opening of an exhibition of Afghan goods and a business forum of the two countries took place at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

A delegation led by Acting Minister of Industry and Trade of Afghanistan Nuruddin Azizi, which included more than 300 representatives of government agencies, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and banks, as well as about 170 companies and enterprises, arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the events.

The extensive exhibition, which will continue until March 6, presents the products of about 70 Afghan private companies from different sectors of the economy. 76 pavilions display construction and industrial products, household chemicals and pharmaceuticals, carpets, jewelry and handicrafts, precious stones, food and drinks are demonstrated.

At the forum, the Turkmen side was widely represented by participants from ministries and state agencies, members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs - more than 200 delegates from companies, individual enterprises and other private structures.

The agenda of the business forum, held in 6 sectoral areas, included a discussion of the prospects for mutually beneficial partnership in the oil and gas sector, transport and communications, electric power industry, industrial sector, trade and agriculture.

During the speeches, the parties expressed their readiness for active interaction in the above-mentioned areas. At the same time, the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) high-voltage power transmission line, railways from Turkmenistan in the Afghan direction, the establishment of transport and transit routes, as well as construction of other promising infrastructure and industrial facilities in Afghanistan.

In the speech of the Acting Minister of Industry and Trade of Afghanistan Nuruddin Azizi, it was emphasized that the key goal of the Afghan side is to ensure the well-being of the Afghan people through job creation, economic growth and attracting investment. In this regard, it was noted that his country's leadership was paying special attention to and supporting the private sector by creating a legal framework to facilitate trade and investment in Afghanistan.

N.Azizi stated the desire of Afghan business circles to further increase trade ties with Turkmenistan, increase trade turnover, jointly develop Afghanistan’s infrastructure, use the transit potential to supply their goods to other regions, as well as facilitate the transit of Turkmen products through Afghanistan.

Within the framework of the forum, dozens of meetings were held between representatives of various departments and business circles of the two neighboring countries, new connections were established and joint projects and further areas of interaction were identified.

A number of bilateral meetings and exchange trading are also planned for the coming days with an eye to signing a dozen documents and contracts between the Turkmen and Afghan business communities.