Embassy Hosts “Afghanistan Business
Dialogue”
Embassy of Afghanistan
10/05/2004
Washington, D.C. – As part of its continued
efforts to promote investment in Afghanistan and to provide
investors with access to capital, the Embassy of Afghanistan
hosted the first seminar of “Afghanistan Business Dialogue”
at the Embassy on October 5, 2004. More than 50 participants
representing various US and Afghan-American firms attended the
seminar. The Dialogue will include at least one event each month,
focusing on areas and topics of interest to companies that want
to invest and do business in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad spoke about the important
role of the private sector in the longer-term development of
Afghanistan. He said, “The Afghan government believes
that the private sector is the engine for growth in Afghanistan.
Reform efforts are focusing on removing obstacles to private
sector development. The government’s goal is for Afghanistan
to become a service center and hub for trade and transit for
the region.” Ambassador Jawad appreciated the assistance
of the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) which
was one of the first bilateral investment agencies to offer
services in project finance and political risk insurance to
potential investors to do business in Afghanistan.
The Dialogue was co-hosted by the Afghan-American
Chamber of Commerce (AACC) and the Afghanistan International
Chamber of Commerce (AICC). Mr. Atiq Panjshiri, the AACC President,
briefly remarked about the investment opportunities in Afghanistan
and encouraged the US companies to reap the numerous profits
of being a “first mover” in Afghanistan’s
emerging markets. He noted that “now is the time to invest
in Afghanistan and make many profits before it is too late.”
Mr. Panjshiri appreciated the initiative taken by the Embassy
of Afghanistan to host the “Afghanistan Business Dialogue”
with the support of the OPIC to facilitate business and investment
in the country.
Senior officials of OPIC attended the Dialogue
and gave presentations informing the participants of the OPIC
finance and insurance programs available to the US companies.
Mr. Abed Tarbush, Manager of Investment Development, expressed
the full commitment of OPIC to helping US companies invest in
Afghanistan and provided general information on the OPIC programs.
Ms. Suzanne Etcheverry, Senior Insurance Officer, spoke about
OPIC’s insurance program, while Ms. Mary Bequai, Senior
Finance Officer, discussed OPIC’s project finance program.
The seminar concluded with an informative Q&A session between
speakers and the participants.
Contact:
M. Ashraf Haidari
(202) 483-6410, (Ex-811)
Haidari@embassyofafghanistan.org
# # #
