APTTA extended for six months: Pakistan’s envoy

Afghanistan and Pakistan on Thursday extended the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) for another six months, said Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan ambassador to Kabul.

According to the Pakistan envoy, the agreement was signed by Pakistan Commerce Minister Razzak Dawood and the Afghan Minister of Commerce and Industry Nisar Ghoriani.

“The two Ministers appreciated the increase in trade and exports from both sides. They lauded the excellent work of technical teams noting significant progress in negotiations on the new APTTA. Pakistan side welcomed Afghanistan’s offer to host the 9th APTTCA in Kabul in August,” tweeted Khan.

Khan added that “Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Abdul Razzak Dawood conveyed that he will lead Pakistan delegation to Kabul along with a large delegation of business persons and investors” in order for them to network with their Afghan counterparts on the sidelines of 9th APTTA meeting.

In February, Pakistan approved a three-month extension in its transit trade agreement with Afghanistan.

The arrangement allows Afghanistan access to Pakistani seaports, as well as land routes, to conduct international trade and export Afghan goods to India, Pakistan’s arch-rival. In return, Islamabad gets access through Afghanistan to markets in Central Asian states.

The Pakistani Commerce Ministry told Cabinet members in February that more than 832,000 containers of Afghan transit trade, carrying goods worth $33 billion, had passed through Pakistan during the last 10 years.

It is estimated that 30% of Afghan Transit Trade passes through Pakistan, the ministry noted at the time.

The APTTA was concluded in 2010 after years of effort, with the United States playing the facilitating role at the time, and replaced an outdated agreement dating from 1965.