India-Kabul to expand trade relations, Afghan traders likely to visit Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) As New Delhi strengthens its relations with the Taliban establishment in Kabul, FM Amir Khan Muttaqi who is one a week-long visit to the capital, is likely to push for better trade cooperation between the two countries.

According to sources aware of the matter, more than two dozen Afghan traders are likely to visit the capital on Monday and will meet the FM Muttaqi.

“These traders are likely to visit New Delhi on Monday. They will meet the FM Muttaqi, and it is being seen as a major push from the Kabul side to expand trade relations, in the domain of dry fruits, pharmaceuticals, public infrastructure and many others,” an official said.

At the restrictive press conference in the Afghan Embassy premises in New Delhi on Friday, Muttaqi backed trade through the Chabahar port route and called for opening the India-Pakistan Attari-Wagah border.

Pakistan does not allow India to export to Afghanistan via the land route, and hence, India uses the Chabahar port in Iran for trade and commerce.

Notably, FM Muttaqi, during the meeting with EAM Jaishankar at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, invited Indian companies to explore mining opportunities in Afghanistan, which are believed to host valuable minerals like copper, iron, lithium, gold and others.

Last year as well, the Taliban was particularly seeking Indian investments in major mining ventures, including the Khawja Gor Gor Coal project in Badghis province, the Abgarmak Copper project in Herat, the Pashti Koh Iron project in Herat, the Qale Zal Gold project in Kunduz, the Lead & Zinc Block in Ghor, the marble blocks in Wardak, the Chehal Kan Shahr Gold project in Badakhshan among many others but it did not lead to any successful result.

These developments come at a time when the relations between Kabul and Islamabad are at their lowest.

On Thursday, when Muttaqi arrived in Delhi, Pakistan conducted a cross-border operation targeting TTP camps in Kabul.

The timing of this bombing was seen as an open threat to the Taliban leadership in Kabul for their outreach to New Delhi.

--IANS

sas/dan