Afghanistan can be a transit route for regional countries

The sixth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) has officially inaugurated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Afghanistan on Thursday in Kabul with Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai formerly welcoming representatives.

The two days conference will be attended by the Ministers from 30 countries and representatives from at least 40 international organizations.

The main topics of discussion in the conference will include economic projects, transit and trade cooperation, customs systems, employing of Afghan workers in Gulf countries, connecting Afghanistan with regional countries and an alternate transit route, said MoFA.

While launching the summit, Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai said that the regional countries can use Afghanistan as a transit corridor.

Mr. Karzai stated that: “RECCA is an important regional economic cooperation which is lead, focused and owned by Afghanistan.”

Mr. Karzai added that the conference is themed as “The Silk Road through Afghanistan”. As the Afghan President, Mr. Ashraf Ghani stated: “We want to revive the Silk Road and turn Afghanistan into a hub between South Asia and Central Asia.”

Since the inception of the National Unity Government, the leaders of the government have given the foreign policy of Afghanistan a new definition and have initiated efforts to stimulate and integrate Afghanistan’s relations with other countries in the world, especially the neighboring and regional countries, in the five specific circles.

In the meantime, Economic Cooperation Director of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Wahidullah Waisi shed light on the preparations by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 6th RECCA and holding round table meetings and its preparations and added that these round tables would include four divisions:

1: Energy and Natural Resources, 2: Railways and Roads, 3: Regional Trade and Transportation (Transit) Expansion, and 4: Economic Services in the region, including strengthening private sector, investment, business opportunities, telecommunication, employment and labor, professional educations, and countering disaster.

Later on, Sattar Murad, the Minister of Economy, also welcomed the delegates and in his speech said that Afghanistan currently needs assistance from foreign countries.

He said that although Afghanistan was working hard at increasing government’s revenue, the economy is struggling. He said one of government’s main areas of concern is that of the weak Afghan currency.

RECCA was initiated in 2005 and is held every two years in New Delhi, Islamabad, Istanbul and Dushanbe respectively.