Afghanistan participates in the "One Belt and One Road" meeting/ there are talks for direct access to China

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Abdul Salam Akhundzada Javad, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, told AVA reporter on Sunday (October 15, 2023) that the "One Belt and One Road" meeting will be held in China next week.
 
Javad added that Nooruddin Azizi; Acting Minister of Industry and Trade participates in this meeting on behalf of the country.
 
Based on Javad's statements; This meeting is one of the most important multilateral meetings in which the Acting Minister of Industry and Trade has been invited.
 
During the trip, Javad said, Azizi will discuss plans to build a road through the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow, mountainous route in northern Afghanistan, for direct access to China.
 
This is despite the fact that before this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced that Afghanistan would join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor known as CPIC.
 
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with AVA reporter, noted that Afghanistan will also attract economic projects by connecting to the region and Europe through the CPEC economic corridor.
 
Takal added that in order to ensure national security, large national and international projects have been implemented in the country, and the connection to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor known as "CPIC" is one of these projects.
 
Based on Takal's statements; Afghanistan has been able to connect to "BRI" through CPEC and will also attract large investments through connecting to this corridor and become a transit crossroads of the region in the future.
 
At the same time, officials in the Chamber of Commerce and Investment say that Afghanistan's connection to the CPEC economic corridor will lead to economic development and business growth in the country.
 
Khan Jan Alokozay, a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, told AVA reporter that connecting to projects and economic corridors like "CPIC" can save Afghanistan from dependence.
 
Alokozay added that with Afghanistan's connection to the CPEC economic corridor, the country's export of commercial goods will increase.
 
He expressed his hope that practical works will be started through this corridor as soon as possible.
 
Nevertheless, economic experts say that although Afghanistan's joining this economic corridor is an important achievement for trade and transit, especially the use of Gwadar port for transportation; but the implementation of the articles of the agreement depends on the policies of Pakistan.
 
Hussain Navid, knowledgeable about economic issues, emphasizes that the CPEC corridor opens a new gate in Afghanistan and can help Afghanistan economically.
 
Navid, however, added that it is important that the government of Pakistan does not use this road and Gwadar port like Karachi port as a means of political pressure against Afghanistan.
 
Qutbuddin Miramuri, another economic expert, also told AVA reporter that Afghanistan's connection to the CPEC economic corridor can be effective from the point of view of commodity prices, the expansion of the country's economy, the increase in trade between Afghanistan and the member countries, as well as the growth of industry.
 
Miramuri added that by connecting to Afghanistan's economic corridors, it will become a real crossroads, which will lead to increased competition and investments.
 
Miramuri also said that, on the other hand, connecting to CPIK corridor can provide job creation in the country due to domestic and foreign investments.
 
Darya Khan Bahir, another economic expert, told AVA reporter that the CPIC project, like other large economic projects, can have a positive impact on the economy of the region, especially the economy of the member countries.
 
Bahir added that Afghanistan needs to establish its position in this project and undertake a contract that will establish the provisions belonging to Afghanistan.
 
He pointed out that we did not benefit from the "APTA" contract, which was concluded between Afghanistan and Pakistan, for various reasons, and it is better to consider these issues in the "CPIC" project.
 
It should be noted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China's Belt and Road Initiative, was introduced in April 2015 and stretches 2,700 kilometers from the Pakistani port of Gwadar in Baluchistan province, through the Khunjarab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, to the northern region. It extends to western Xinjiang, China.