ISLAMABAD, July 19: Afghan Commerce Minister Syed Mustafa Kazimi has said that his government will provide complete security to Pakistani investors to kick-start reconstruction activities in Afghanistan.

He said the reconstruction work could only be taken in hand if the required investment was available and as such the Afghan government knew the importance of providing security to investors and their investments.

Talking to Dawn following the conclusion of Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA) in Islamabad, the minister said the Afghan government would provide every assistance to Pakistani businessmen in setting up businesses in Afghanistan.

Answering a question, the minister said that his ministry would assist the Export Promotion of Bureau in holding of a single-country exhibition in Kabul.

“We will not only provide security, but will also facilitate the Pakistani businessmen to display their products by holding single-country exhibition,” he assured.

He said the Afghan government attached considerable importance to the role of private sector in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. “We would encourage investment in the areas of agriculture and industry as well,” he said.

The minister invited private and public sectors of Pakistan to invest in Afghanistan.

He, however, said that if some minor differences had developed in the past, they would be removed soon and that it should not create hindrance in the development of relation between the two countries.

In reply to a question, he said that import tariff on all products coming into Afghanistan was much lower as compared to the import duties in other regional countries.

The minister urged Islamabad to implement the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) agreement in its original shape. He asked the Pakistan government to abolish the negative list placed under the ATT so that maximum number of goods could be imported by Afghanistan.

He said if Islamabad felt it was not possible to implement the ATT in its original form, then it should consider re-negotiating the ATT with Afghanistan.

The minister also requested Islamabad to help facilitate the Afghan fruit exporters who are facing problems in trading with Pakistan.