The 8th meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on WTO took place at the Export Promotion Agency of Afghanistan (EPAA) on the 13th of July2008 to discuss the relations between the WTO and Afghanistan. Mohammad Azim Wardak, President of the International Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries and spoke of the economic importance for Afghanistan to join the Global Economy. Suleman Fatimie, CEO of EPAA also emphasized upon the role Afghan exports can play in integrating Afghanistan’s economy towards the WTO. Dr. Sanath Jayanetti and Mr. Yahya Akhlaqi, discussed the following issues respectively: Proposed trade & tariff policy frame work and poverty reduction for Afghanistan, and Export Promotion related issues and a case study on Marble & Granite Industry.
Afghanistan currently has an observer status in the WTO.
In this meeting, Dr. Sanath talked about challenges to the economy suchas: promotion, free trade and poverty reduction.
Also mentioned was the fact that Afghanistan has the potential to gain millions of dollars from extracting its natural reserves of Marble, Granite and other precious stones and commodities. | |
