The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghan and Indian officials have emphasized the need to expand bilateral economic cooperation and remove obstacles to trade during a meeting in New Delhi, according to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI).
ACCI President Sayed Karim Hashimi met with Anand Prakash, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs' special representative for Afghanistan, during his visit to India to discuss trade relations, business opportunities and challenges affecting commerce between the two countries.
During the meeting, Hashimi welcomed the resumption of the issuance of business visas for Afghan traders and called for additional measures to facilitate bilateral trade.
He identified high transportation costs, delays in commercial shipments, operational challenges at Iran's Chabahar Port, restrictions on financial transactions and the detention of export containers as major obstacles to trade between Afghanistan and India.
The Indian side reaffirmed its commitment to further simplifying the business visa process and pledged continued cooperation to strengthen economic and commercial ties between the two countries, according to the chamber.
India remains one of Afghanistan's key trading partners. However, bilateral trade has been affected in recent years by political developments, transit restrictions and banking challenges. Recent efforts to expand commercial relations and improve visa access for Afghan businesspeople have raised expectations for stronger economic engagement between the two countries.
