DUSHANBE, October 23, Asia-Plus -- On Friday October 20, Sharif Saidov, the head of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), met with visiting Afghan Trade Attach? Ato Muhammad Ghaznavi.

 According to the CCI press service, in the course of the talks the two discussed state and prospects of further expansion of trade and economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan as well as mechanisms of boosting cooperation between businesspeople of the two countries.  A source at Tajik CCI said that during the meeting Saidov noted that Tajikistan attaches great significance to its economic and trade cooperation with Afghanistan and the two countries have good potentials to expand it.  Saidov outlined production of carpets at home, light industry, processing of farm produce, transportation, cross-border trade and organization of exhibitions and fairs as priorities and main directions of cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, according to the source.  

Dr. Ghaznavi, for his part, underlined the importance of combining efforts of entrepreneurs of the two countries to support development of small and medium-sized enterprises and tackle numerous problems facing them.  He also pointed to the significance of exchange of information for making decisions on participation of Tajik entrepreneurs in reconstruction of Afghanistan’s economy.      

To achieve these goals, especially in view of the great potential for cooperation in these spheres, the sides intend to set up a joint Tajik-Afghan Business Council.

 Saidov and Ghaznavi also considered the issue of participation of Tajikistan’s CCI at the 2 ^nd Conference on Regional Cooperation that will be held in New Delhi on November 18-19 2006.  

During the meeting it was noted that vehicular bridge across the Panj River in Khatlon that will consolidate permanent overland links between Tajikistan and Afghanistan and improve commerce and trade within Central Asia will be finished in 2007.