ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani on Monday offered his country’s support for development of the Gwadar port, saying it would act as a gateway to prosperity for the entire region.

The Afghan finance minister, leading a 17-member delegation, arrived here on Monday for talks on bilateral trade and economic cooperation amid renewed tensions between the neighbours.

Afghan Finance Minister Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is in Pakistan on a three-day-long official visit to Pakistan in connection with the Second Pak-Afghan Joint Ministerial meeting.

The Afghan finance minister was received here at Islamabad International Airport by Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Senator Shaukat Aziz.

Dr Waqar Masood, secretary, economic affairs division was also present on the occasion.

The Afghan Minister for Reconstruction Amin Farhan is also included in the delegation.

Later, Finance Minister Senator Shaukat Aziz and Afghanistan’s Minister for Finance Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, while talking to journalists, stressed the need for closer trade and business links between the two countries.

The Afghan Finance Minister said: “We see Afghanistan a land- bridged country and not a land-locked country and our perspective is that trade is good for all of us.”

Highlighting the importance of Gwadar port, he said: “We see Gwadar as port of the people,” offering the Afghan government’s cooperation “to turn Gwadar into a full regional port and not just a port of Pakistan ...”

Stressing the need for an “open trading regime ... based (on) the principle of mutual respect (besides) facilitating each other.

Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai also called for facilitating investors of both the countries, enabling them to invest in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Afghan Minister stressed the need for cooperation

on key policy issues between the two governments for developing bilateral trade relations.—APP/AFP