KABUL (BNA) On July 19, 2022, talks were held between the delegations of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the sector of trade and transit. the Afghan side was led by Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, and the Pakistani side was led by Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce. The two sides discussed in detail the topics included in the agenda and as a result, the following agreements were signed:
- In the current fiscal year, bilateral trade and transit have grown. This movement should be strengthened on the basis of sustainable and mutual benefit.”
- It was agreed to make border crossing points more efficient to ensure early clearance of trade and transit traffic, and to remove bottlenecks and barriers on a priority basis.
- The two sides agreed to implement the Temporary Admission Document (TAD), which will allow free movement of bilateral commercial vehicles and prevent the loading and unloading of goods at border crossings in order to increase trade between the two countries.
- The relevant authorities of the two sides also agreed to keep the crossings open, especially Torkham, Spin Boldad, Ghulam Khan, and Dand Patan.
- The heads of customs departments of the two countries agreed to cooperate and develop interrelated customs procedures and systems to improve efficiency in goods clearance.
- Steps to be taken for starting luxury bus service between Peshawar and Jalalabad and Quetta and Kandahar making all possible efforts to commence the service from the end of August this year.”
- Problems in visa processing will be resolved through mutual coordination.”
- Pakistan is currently considering quick steps to export assets from Afghanistan.
- Both parties agreed to provide special facilities for the movement of trucks and goods on all routes.
- It was agreed that by the end of August 2022 passenger services will be provided on a trial basis, initially using two modern and well-equipped buses, these services will start from both sides, and 5 more buses will be added after 15 days. After one month each, both parties will conduct a comprehensive review of services to determine the number of services required by each party.
It is worth noting that representatives of the respective departments of both countries participated in these dialogs.
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