Industry and commerce minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Monday called on Beijing to speed up its efforts for reopening of the Silk Road trade route.
Minister Nooruddin Azizi said that the Wakhan Corridor or the Silk Road can increase the level of trade between the two countries and become a reliable route for the transit of goods.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has announced its preparations for the opening of this corridor and asks the respsected authorities of the People’s Republic of China to speed up the process of opening this route,” Azizi said.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 150 countries and international organizations. It seeks to rekindle ancient Silk Road trade routes linking China with Europe and Africa
In September, Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce said that Afghanistan should be included in the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project, which is a central part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
“In talks we had with China, it was mentioned that we should partner with China in the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor and other programs that China has at the international level,” Nooruddin Azizi said in an interview with China’s CGTN.—Ariana news
