ISLAMABAD: Afghan Finance Minister Dr Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal is arriving here on Sunday to hold talks with Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on the economic agenda to be discussed during the forthcoming visit of President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan, it was officially announced on Saturday.

The Afghan president is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Monday.

Afghan Ambassador Muhammad Umer Daudzai met Senator Dar on Saturday to discuss details about Dr Zakhilwal’s visit. While they discussed the visit, Mr Dar told the Afghan ambassador he looked forward to meeting the Afghan finance minister.

The two ministers are likely to explore and discuss areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Later, Mr Dar chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to finalise the issues to be taken up in his talks with the Afghan finance minister.

The two countries have already agreed to enhance bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2015 from the current $2.5bn. Issues relating to transit trade between the two countries in the light of Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement will also be discussed by the two finance ministers.

Informed sources said that cooperation in sectors like communication, railways, engineering, education, culture and tourism are expected to be discussed during the talks.

The two sides will also review the status of development projects such as CASA1000 power transmission project between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India gas pipeline project.