Sri Lanka-Afghanistan Trade Agreement to be signed shortly
The government of Afghanistan is said to have finalised the preparing of a trade pact to be signed with Sri Lanka in the Near future.
Speaking at a meeting to promote bi-lateral trade between the two nations, Charge d’affairs of the Embassy of Afghanistan, Munir Ghisy said, “We have already received the approved draft agreement from the Afghanistan government and are looking forward to sign the agreement with the Sri Lankan government.
He added that an increase in trade could be facilitated by setting up direct flights between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Ghisy said that Afghanistan had plenty of resources that are yet to be explored. He claimed that the country plentiful supply of copper, gold and lithium used as a main element in the manufacture of batteries, PCs and mobiles phones.
He expressed his belief that many new openings would be presented to interested financial backers to enter the Afghanistan mining industry and pave the way for mining explorations in the country. Ghisy also said that the completion of the new railway linking Afghanistan to Uzbekistan has opened the doorway for increasing commerce in the Central Asia region, with direct flights to India also enabling improved trade.
“There is great potential for exporting dried fruits from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka,” he further added.
With the aim of promoting bi-lateral trade relations, the Sri Lanka National Chamber of Commerce is expected to host a trade delegation from Afghanistan soon.
OSL TAKE:
Opening up trade relations with a country that has such rich resources but is yet to have its potential fully realised will provide a multitude of opportunities to Sri Lanka and businesses registered in the country.
As Ghisy pointed out, the mining exploration potential in Afghanistan will revolutionise Sri Lanka’s position in the mining sector and allow interested investors to gain maximum advantage of such a chance.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/07092017/Z_2 |