INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pakistan&s Charge d&Affaires for Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani said in a video message on Wednesday that the recent talks between
Islamabad&s commerce delegation and Afghan officials had been &successful& and that he hoped this would give fresh impetus to bilateral
trade between the two countries.&I&m happy to report that this was a successful visit and both sides have agreed to work together for mutual
benefit on a number of areas.&They will facilitate transit, they will facilitate bilateral trade and they will take all possible measures
that create an environment for continuous and productive trade and economic relations between the two countries,& he said.The delegation,
led by Commerce Ministry Secretary Khurram Agha, arrived in Kabul on Monday and had numerous talks on various issues with Islamic Emirate
officials.The visit came amid deteriorating bilateral relations following several suicide attacks in Pakistan in the last couple of months
that Islamabad attributes to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, a group they claim is based in Afghanistan.Diplomatic tensions
between the two countries over the last few months have led to economic losses, as key border crossings for trade and travel have closed
intermittently, resulting in goods trucks being held up at border posts.Afghanistan&s Minister for Industry and Commerce Nurudin Azizi
meanwhile said the IEA had held fruitful negotiations in a cordial environment with the visiting delegation.&We discussed in detail with the
Pakistani side specific issues related to heavy transport vehicles that will be resolved,& he said.&We will achieve positive results as our
discussions remained productive.&Azizi said Afghanistan expected to sign a formal agreement with Pakistan within six months, allowing
Pakistani trucks to enter Afghanistan and travel to the Central Asian states and Afghan trucks to go all the way to the Pakistani port
cities of Karachi and Gwadar.Apart from discussing trade-related issues, the two sides also focused on movement of passengers, patients and
businesspeople across their common border during these talks.Azizi noted uninterrupted trade and business between Kabul and Islamabad would
play a significant role in creating a peaceful environment between the two countries and facilitate their economic development.He said the
two sides also pledged to enhance their existing trade volume, adding that both countries could become ideal markets for each other if they
did not allow business to be affected by any geopolitical tensions.Azizi also said Afghanistan could export agricultural products to China
and other countries via Pakistan&s ports and cities.The post Pakistan&s commerce delegation wraps up ‘successful& trip to Kabul first
