Sunday December 01, 2013
Kabul (BNA) Mohammad Karim Khalili Second Vice-President leading an Afghan delegation to Uzbekistan addressed the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The meeting is participated by Prime Ministers of China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and some other authorities of main members and observers of the organization.
In his address Khalili touching on the importance of regional cooperation said that the government of Afghanistan believes that expansion and progress in the region is possible in the light of all round positive cooperation of the abilities and each other’s experience.
Khalili also met Prime Minister of Uzbekistan during which he expressed the readiness of Afghanistan for facilitating Uzbekistan’s investments in infrastructural projects in Afghanistan including extension of railway line of Hairatan-Mazari-Sharif to Herat.
Khalili also emphasized on expansion of trade volume between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and transfer of Uzbekistan experience in agriculture in Afghanistan.
He also had separate meetings during his stay there with Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan and deputy prime minister of Mongolia, at the meetings they discussed implementation of the KASA-1000 that is important for economic growth and regional ties and emphasized on its realization.
Khalili also met Minister of Industry and Mine of Iran, deputy political Minister of Indian external affairs ministry and US ambassador to Tashkent.
At the meeting with Minister of Industry and Mine of Iran Khalili noted that progress in Afghanistan is to the interest of the countries of this region. Khalili voiced readiness of Afghanistan over implementation of the railway line of Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Iran and added that Kabul will not refrain from expansion of railway from Afghanistan and the regional countries.
In his meeting with the US ambassador in Tashkent he discussed issues pertaining to the decisions of the Consultative Loya Jirga (Traditional Grand Assembly). He called the growing ability of the Afghan security forces as encouraging.
At the meeting the US ambassador expressed his support of further expansion of bilateral ties and called trade expansion of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan important.
