Saturday, September 10, 2016
Kabul (BNA) Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan met ECO Secretary General Ýbrahim Akça here in presidential palace the other day, a statement said, adding both sides discussed enhancing regional economic cooperation.
Praising President Ghani’s economic programs, the ECO Secretary General said that the organization will hold a summit to discuss the upcoming 10 years’ plan, adding that the plan will aim to boost cooperation in the areas related to transportation, commerce and tourism, the statement added.
The ECO Secretary General went on saying that the organization would continue cooperation with Ministry of Economy, aiming to improve Afghanistan’s economic situation. Thanking ECO’s cooperation with Afghanistan, President Ghani praised the organization for its plan of boosting regional connectivity through economic cooperation, the presidential statement read. Hinting on country’s important geographical position, the president said that Afghanistan plays key transportation role in the region, as it connects South Asia with Central Asia, which can bolster the economic cooperation in the region.
The president went on saying that to increase commercial and economic cooperation in the region, it is needed to establish airlines between South and Central Asia, adding that Afghanistan must turn into an exported country, and the country’s agricultural products would secure the regional requirements, the statement said.
Pointing to Tourism opportunities in the country, the president said Afghanistan enjoys ancient history and civilization and owns many historical monuments and places, that a major regional network of museums and proper tourism mechanism would boost such sector and would attract tourists as well.
At the end, the ECO Secretary General proposed establishment of joint technical teams to review the demands made and work on enhancing the economic cooperation, the statement concluded.
