India is planning to restart air cargo services with Afghanistan soon, an official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday at the time of Afghanistan’s Taliban Trade Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi’s visit to New Delhi.
Following the announcement, Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary at the MEA, confirmed that the groundwork for resuming cargo flight operations has been completed.
“I am pleased to announce that the air freight corridor on the Kabul-Delhi sector and Kabul-Amritsar routes have been activated and cargo flights on these sectors will come very soon,” he said.
What did the joint secretary say?
Speaking at an interactive session with the Afghan delegation, Prakash hinted at expanding trade with Kabul and also announced the reactivation of the joint working group on trade, commerce and investment between both sides.
“Bilateral trade stands at around 1 billion. However, there remains significant scope for further growth. In this context, we have decided to reactivate the joint working group on trade, commerce and investment. The active involvement of Indian and Afghan businesses will be essential to make this particular joint working group the process more effective,” the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Purpose of Azizi’s visit to Delhi
Afghanistan’s Azizi is presently in India for a five-day visit aimed at strengthening trade ties with a particular focus on the agricultural sector. Azizi’s visit comes at a time when Afghanistan is looking at broadening its economic partnerships amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan.
Agendas of his meetings in New Delhi are expected to revolve around increasing trade volumes, expanding market access for Afghan produce, and boosting Indian exports of pharmaceuticals, machinery and textiles.
Azizi’s trip follows closely on the heels of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visit to the national capital. These trips have been interpreted by many as a positive indicator of India’s enhanced diplomatic presence in Kabul.