The Commerce Secretary, Mr Rahul Khullar, has emphasised on capital expenditure as the way forward in the development of the mining sector in Afghanistan.

Addressing a 12-member Afghani delegation, Mr Khullar noted that growth in exports from Afghanistan to India at 16 per cent last year was low, and added that the way forward for Afghanistan was to marry human skills, technology and entrepreneurship.

Mr Vikramjit Singh Sahney, President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the key constraints to bilateral economic cooperation were a difficult law and order situation, the lack of trade infrastructure and the non-availability of skilled manpower in Afghanistan.

“We are committed to working jointly with you for improving this scenario,” he said.

Mr Sahney urged Afghanistan to engage more actively in the SAARC and SAFTA process to enable the country to take its rightful place in the region.

Mr Khullar saw potential for setting up bilateral projects in small and medium enterprises, textiles and agro processing. “That is how India started 50 years ago,” he said.

Mr Mohd. Noor Akhbari, spokesperson of the Afghanistan parliamentary delegation, in his remarks, while assuring Indian business about the safety of their investments in Afghanistan, sought India’s help in building urban transport infrastructure and the agriculture, mining and health sectors.

Mr Akhbari also underlined the need for India to offer scholarships to Afghan students in medicine and engineering. The scholarships available today were in the social sciences, he said.

heena.k@thehindu.co.in

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