During a visit to the Herat Industrial Park, Turkmenistan's trade and industrial delegation expressed interest in importing marble, paint, and steel rods from Afghanistan.
Local officials in Herat mentioned that following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, the export of some domestic products to Turkmenistan will commence.
Chariyar, a member of the Turkmenistan private sector delegation, stated: "The aim of our visit is to tour the marble factories and building material production plants. We want to closely inspect Afghanistan’s products and import the goods Turkmenistan needs from Afghanistan’s offerings."
Hamidullah Khadem, the head of the Herat Chamber of Industries and Mines, said: "This trip will lead to a long-term marble sales contract with Turkmenistan. There have also been visits to iron smelting factories that produce steel rods, as well as to paint production facilities. The delegation's focus is particularly on these three sectors."
Bashir Mohammad Sirat, the head of Herat's Industry and Trade, commented: "There is significant interest in the building materials sector, especially in products like steel rods. Our effort is to facilitate coordination and agreements between the private sectors of both countries to help grow our domestic production and enable its export internationally."
According to the Herat Chamber of Industries and Mines, nearly eight hundred factories are operational in the province’s industrial park.
Some of the products from this park, including marble, non-alcoholic beverages, sanitary equipment, food items, and carpets, are exported to many countries including the United States, Europe, Central Asia, and Arab countries.
Several owners of manufacturing factories in the Herat Industrial Park claim that the domestic products are of high quality.
Ershad Ghoryani, deputy of the Western Region Miners’ Union, said: "We have the capacity to process 4 to 5,000 tons of marble monthly. These stones are processed using machinery imported from some of the most reputable brands worldwide, including from Italy. Here, we fully process raw marble materials."
"Starting to export is a very important step in the growth of the country’s industry. With this step, we anticipate the opening of new factories in the future and the creation of comprehensive employment opportunities for the people," said Ehsanullah, the deputy of an iron smelting factory in the Herat Industrial Park.
The Turkmenistan private sector delegation, consisting of businessmen and industrialists, came to Herat on a three-day trip to expand trade cooperation and initiate the import of Afghan goods.