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Afghanistan's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, led a high-level delegation to the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025 on Wednesday, seeking to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations.
The visit, part of a five-day official trip to India, comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including border closures disrupting exports. During the visit, Minister Azizi met with Neeraj Kharwal, Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), to discuss opportunities for Afghanistan to participate in future exhibitions. The Minister toured various stalls, including Afghan showcases promoting local products, and interacted with traders to explore market access and expansion prospects. Azizi toured various stalls at the fair, including the Afghan stalls showcasing local products, to promote business connections and interacted with Afghan traders in India to discuss market access and expansion prospects. This visit is the first by an Afghan Minister to ITPO since 2021, set against escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions, including border closures disrupting exports. This has prompted Afghanistan to diversify trade with India. Afghanistan seeks to diversify trade with India, leveraging India's expertise in pharmaceuticals, textiles, and machinery. Key exports to Afghanistan include these products, while imports feature agricultural products and minerals. Recent diplomatic steps, such as upgrading India's Kabul mission to full embassy status, support growing bilateral ties. Afghanistan aims to attract Indian investments in mining and hydroelectric projects and explore alternative connectivity routes bypassing Pakistan. The visit marks a significant step in strengthening Afghanistan-India trade relations, with potential benefits for regional economic growth and cooperation. Earlier, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, concluded a six-day visit to India in October 2025, marking the highest-level engagement between New Delhi and the Taliban regime since the 2021 takeover. During his visit, Muttaqi said that India and Afghanistan agreed to establish a trade committee to enhance economic cooperation. (ANI)
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