The Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industries said an agreement has been signed between Afghan and Pakistani officials to resolve some problems facing transit and trade between the two countries.
Pakistani officials have agreed to reduce tariffs on Afghan fruit and vegetables and will allow the export of Afghan cotton to Pakistan, Musafir Qoqandi, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, told TOLOnews on Friday.
The agreement was made at a meeting between Afghan and Pakistani officials in Islamabad last week.
Meanwhile, it was agreed to lift limitations and conditions on quarantine certificates for Afghan goods which are being exported to Pakistan, Qoqandi said.
“The two countries' meeting was good for transit and trade in Afghanistan and Pakistan, because it agreed that Pakistan will lower customs tariffs on Afghanistan’s fruit and vegetables,” he added.
Some members of the Afghan private sector said they are not optimistic about Pakistan’s will to overcome the issues in trade and transit between the two countries.
“We are not so hopeful about the implementation of these commitments by Pakistan, but if they are delivered, it will be good for the two countries,” said Shabir Bashiri, head of Investment, Industry and Mine Council, a private sector-related institution.
Representatives of the private sector called on the Afghan government to enter into talks with Pakistan from a strong position and properly resolve transit and trade problems between the two neighboring countries.