Winning the gold medal badge for ‘Excellence in Display’ at the 41st Edition of the India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, Afghanistan represented a comprehensive blueprint of its potential and priorities for trade growth across the globe. Afghanistan’s spirit for trading partnership is focused on strengthening the market-oriented economic system, promoting investment; enhance cooperation with regional and international organizations and markets.
Afghanistan’s participation at IITF since 2005 has earmarked significance and is determined to progressively embrace a new growth paradigm driven by trade and investment. Aiming to spur trade opportunities with the world, Afghanistan’s trade potential needs to be unleashed by the elimination of existing trade barriers, create an enabling business environment and strengthen the capacities of the Afghan private sector to provide the regional and international markets with competitive products.
At the 41st edition of IITF, Afghanistan showcased its strength through its 28 stalls which displayed dried fruits, saffron, carpets, onyx marble, precious & semi-precious gemstones, and jewellery. The 14-day-long trade fair is a marvellous opportunity to introduce Afghan items to India and showcase Afghanistan’s potential for economic vibrancy, over the years, Afghanistan has generated a market in India.
Stemming from Afghanistan-India’s encouraging trade and scaling up the India-Afghanistan people-to-people contact, the India-International trade fair has built a strong economic bond that has strengthened and nurtured regional integration and created avenues for prosperity and development for many years.
Afghanistan produces a wide array of dried fruits and nuts (with many different varieties of raisins and almonds) with unique tastes that have attracted buyers throughout the world. Saffron from Afghanistan has already been recognized and certified as one of the best in the world.
IITF steer greater value addition and provides a beam of light that sets Afghan products’ worth which has traditionally fed regional markets for decades.
Appreciating the support of the Government of India, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay said, such timely trade initiatives are important. He further added, India’s 85 percent of dried fruit consumption is imported from Afghanistan. Emphasizing the significance of the trade fair, he said, IITF is an important platform for many Afghan businesses and products.
Aiming to take the embellishments towards the direction of progress and strengthening the synergies of the Afghan Mission, Ambassador Farid Mamundzay, have invested in partnership to build trade dynamics with India to improve the economy of Afghanistan and create hope for sustainability.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi has facilitated the necessary support in reinforcing the Afghan traders’ smooth trade activity at the trade fair.
Afghanistan’s Strength & Motivation
It is encouraging to see Afghanistan’s trade potential at IITF which has achieved remarkable milestones over the years. These efforts support the trade stimulus, hence immensely complimented raising Afghanistan’s trade dynamics.
Afghanistan’s presence at IITF added energies to accelerate the long-term business architecture that would invest in the sustenance and build the resilience of the Afghan people who the most at this difficult time need- more importantly, collectively represent the solidarity that stands for meaningful progress.
This is the motivation at IITF which contains Afghanistan’s strength- carpets, handicrafts, dried fruits-to take on the challenges of today and strengthen the livelihood for the Afghan people for tomorrow and to strongly build on the Afghan-India trade dimensions.
Reinforcing the trade dynamics, India has been a steady partner of Afghanistan and together both nations make progress in their shared efforts to achieve the best in reshaping their response to the people of Afghanistan and India.
IITF encourages the trade partners in India to stay the course and continue working in steering Afghan traders on a successful road ahead as they face catastrophic challenges in the present day.
Putting the hands on the wheel of progress for the Afghan people, the countries can push more in scaling up the support so that Afghanistan’s food, health, education, and economy can be rebuilt and improved.
This requires jump-starting Afghanistan’s economy by re-engaging in strong trade activities- exploring ways to inject enhanced trade in Afghanistan. This will pull the economy from the brink and create livelihood opportunities for the people of Afghanistan.
Today Afghanistan is at an extraordinary moment and a seamless effort is required by the traders of both countries by leveraging trade and investment.
It is important to draw inspiration from the creation of trade coalitions to provide support for trade enhancement. The Indian and Afghan traders- must strengthen trade dynamics collectively.
By creating enormous trade and investment opportunities for Afghanistan, it will boost the development of new products and markets in India. The increase in trade is a prerequisite for growth, and also for sustainable development and building the resilience of Afghanistan’s economy.
The India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2022 concluded on Sunday with a promise of a grander IITF next year.
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