Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, met late Tuesday with traders from twelve countries and called on them to invest in Afghanistan.

In a statement issued by the ministry, the traders, who traveled to Afghanistan, are from Turkey, Qatar, Bahrain, Palestine, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malaysia, and India.

“The Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, while discussing investment facilitation, assured the traders from various countries of Afghanistan’s full cooperation and highlighted the availability of opportunities for business and employment in the country. He urged them to invest in Afghanistan,” said Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Azizi also briefed the traders on key actions and decisions by officials of the Islamic Emirate, including: stabilizing Afghanistan’s national currency and promoting its use nationwide; preventing the smuggling of dollars and goods; curbing unnecessary fluctuations in the exchange rate of the afghani (AFN) against the dollar; legalizing and regulating the operations of money exchange businesses; and reducing government officials’ expenditures.

Qalandar Rahimi, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “Over the past few years, the Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce has made significant efforts to build trade and economic relations with countries in the region and beyond. Today, we are seeing the results of those efforts, as groups of foreign traders and investors are arriving in our country.”

Mirwais Haji Zada, Deputy Head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, also said: “The meeting of the Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce with representatives from twelve different countries is a positive step.”