Turkey, Afghanistan sign cooperation agreement

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) on Friday said it has signed a cooperation deal on information sharing with Afghanistan's National Procurement Authority.

The agreement was signed as part of a business meeting organized by DEIK's Turkey-Afghanistan Business Council, it said on Friday.

Business representatives and officials discussed economic relations, investment and cooperation opportunities between the two countries during the meeting.

Nail Olpak, the head of the DEIK, said the annual bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Afghanistan is around $150 million, adding that it should be increased.

There are significant opportunities in construction, energy and security fields between the two countries, Olpak noted.

"I invite Turkish businesspeople to invest in these sectors," he said.

Accessing information and security are two critical points for doing business and increasing relations with Afghanistan, he recalled.

"I believe that we can create a fertile environment for our businesspeople," the head of the DEIK added.

Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi, Afghanistan’s acting finance minister, said two countries aim to make cooperation in political, investment, infrastructure, and trade areas.

Qayoumi reminded that Afghanistan is located in the middle of the historical trade line of Silk Road and it has a key role to integrate Central and South Asian economies.

"We are grateful for Turkey's extraordinary support to peaceful, prosperous and stabilized Afghanistan," he added.