Monday June 30, 2014
Kabul (BNA) Officials of Tajikistan Embassy in Kabul have said that trade and cultural relations between Afghanistan and Tajikistan have expanded over the last once decade.
In a meeting with the Second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili, Ambassador of Tajikistan in Afghanistan Sharafuddin Imamove expressed satisfaction over the growing bilateral relations between the two countries in various spheres including joint efforts against terrorism, security cooperation for border safety, reining of drug smuggling and some other important sectors such as establishment of railway link and commercial exchanges. Both sides in the meeting vowed to further expand long term cooperation. “Both countries maintain enough potential to expand their bilateral cooperation in various fields’ particularly economic cooperation and expansion of trade releations,” Sharafuddin Imamov said.
Meanwhile, Second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili also laid emphasize on enhancement of relations between the two countries, said that bilateral relations between the two nations have visibly increased over the last one decade. Economic analysts believe Afghanistan’s growing relations with the central Asian states particularly Tajikistan keep crucial role in boosting up social, economic, political and diplomatic ties and there is a dire need that Kabul further accelerate efforts and revitalize its relations with the rest of the regional countries. “Establishment of commercial and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and central Asian states is crucial to bring positive change in economic sector and it is one of the top priorities of the country,” political analyst Ali Rahmani said.
“Now that Afghanistan enters in a new chapter, focusing on economic projects with various countries including Tajikistan is very essential and key aspect of it, because it connects Afghanistan with other countries, and also distance between Afghanistan and Tajikistan is short and Afghan traders can expand their commercial exchange with this country.” “Currently, Afghanistan conducts majority of its trade with Tajikistan and it has enjoyed close relations with Afghanistan over the recent years and Afghan-Tajik-Turkmen railway project is one of the mega economic projects which is on the implementation phase, Rahmani added. Business community in Afghanistan is also willing that the bilateral trade and commerce relations between Afghanistan and Tajikistan get developed. “Tajikistan is an Islamic country and it enjoys cultural, religious and historic relations with Afghanistan, the country also enjoys close commerce relations with Afghanistan, sustainability of the ties is in the interest of the two nations,” an Afghan trader Taj Mohammad said.
“Establishment of railway link between Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan is one of the important needs and it assures economic stability of Afghanistan and regional countries and must be executed soon. In addition, a number of residents have said that expansion of relations between Afghanistan and central Asian countries help them expand commerce and economic activities and there is need for implementation of more joint economic projects to create jobs to the nationals of these countries and develop economic and commerce ties. “Implementation of a railway link inside the country will be an important job and it is one desires as well, because, Afghanistan has not its own railway, trade and transit relations between central Asian regions and Afghanistan supports regional economies,” local resident Marwa said.
“People want better living standard and job is created to them, so implementation of economic project strongly support job sector.” Afghanistan has found extraordinary reputation in international sphere over the last twelve years and today various countries in the world are willing to forge close economic and diplomatic ties with the country.
