US-Afghanistan Business Matchmaking Conference
The Embassy of Afghanistan
10/03/2005
Washington, D.C. – The Embassy of Afghanistan
hosted a dinner reception welcoming a senior Afghan trade and
investment delegation on October 2, 2005. The participants included
Senior Advisor to the President and Minister of Commerce Hedayat
Amin Arsala, Minister of Agriculture Obaidullah Ramin, Minister
of Mines and Industries Mir Mohammad Seddiq, Afghan Investment
Support Agency CEO Omar Zakhailwal, and former US Congressman
Don Ritter. Prominent Afghan businessmen were also in attendance.
In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Said Tayeb
Jawad stated: “Afghanistan is re-entering the global marketplace.
The Government of Afghanistan, with the partnership of the US
and the international community, has laid the foundation for
a comprehensive restructuring of the political and economic
systems to build a democratic government, a pluralistic society,
and a free market economy.” As a result, he praised the
achievements of the past four years in economic sector including
a new stable Afghan currency, enactment of banking and investment
laws, establishment of 11 new banks, and increasing foreign
direct investment in Afghanistan.
Moreover, Ambassador Jawad stressed the importance
of US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership— signed by President
Karzai and US President Bush in May 2005—a significant
component of which focuses on the economic recovery of Afghanistan.
He said, “I want our US-Afghan Strategic Partnership to
address economic recovery and private sector development, as
well as fighting narcotics and the accompanying corruption.”
The delegation is attending a two-day conference
on US-Afghanistan Business Matchmaking sponsored by the Afghan
American Chamber of Commerce and its sister agency Afghanistan
International Chamber of Commerce on October 3-4, 2005. The
event focuses on specific business opportunities in Afghanistan
and finding US companies to create partnerships, joint ventures,
and investor relationships. Over one hundred Afghan and US companies
are expected to attend the conference.
Contact:
M. Ashraf Haidari
(202) 483-6410, (Ex-811)
Haidari@embassyofafghanistan.org
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