Wednesday, November 05, 2014
Kabul (BNA) Afghanistan and India held a joint fair to expand bilateral trade and strengthen the relations between the businessmen of the two countries.
In this fair products of both countries were displayed in 50 booths. The Indian businessmen have displayed those commodities which have many customers in Afghanistan that include pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, agricultural machineries, plastics, information technology, steel products, hotel management, electrics, auto products etc. in Hotel-Intercontinental. Afghan businessmen exhibited dried fruits, carpets, handicrafts, stone products, solar equipment and IT. Addressing the opening ceremony of this exhibition, the head of International Relation Department of Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), Azrakhsh Hafizi said “Over 500 million people in India have higher purchase power and it provides better opportunity to Afghan traders. Today India has been changed to a developed from a developing country and this country has managed to rescue 300 million people from poverty and changed them to medium class and this is a good message to Afghan producers. Afghanistan imports from India are $136 million while our exports to India are $102 million annually. The Afghan-Indian officials said that if the two countries are connected through a shorter trade route, the trade between the two nations will increase much higher. The ACCI authorities told media that if Afghanistan was connected to India via ground route, it would have been able to export commodities to India at a cost of $1 billion, an opportunity that Pakistan has grabbed it. The Indian commodities are imported to Afghanistan via Chabahar port, cost expensive. After Pakistan didn’t allow India and Afghanistan to trade via its territory, both countries started seeking the second option. At present, Afghan-India authorities hope to business via Chabahar port and Afghan traders expect to supply their commodities to Indian traders and customers. Talking to the Kabul Times reporter, a number of traders who had exhibited their products in the fair, welcoming the opening of such events, said “Thorough such fairs we can better introduce our products to our Indian partners. Abedullah who owns a fruit juice company who was trying to conduct marketing for his products in India displayed samples of his products in the fair, said “This fair would enable us to acquaint India traders and exchange commodities. A number of Kabul citizens who visited the fair told the Kabul Times reporter that holding of such fairs would be effective in expansion of bilateral relations between the two countries and their more closeness, as well introduction of both nations’ products to each other and pave the way for investment of Indian traders in our country. Large number of Kabul residents visited this two-day fair.
