29.03.2021 Ankara
The Agreement for the Establishment of the Turkey-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Forum was signed online by M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), and Ismail Ghazanfar, President of the Afghan Chambers Federation (AFN).
Speaking at the opening of the ceremony,
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The epidemic in Turkey is still a big
issue for society and the economy. So far the Turkish authorities have managed
the situation well. We have managed to vaccinate more than 14 million of our
citizens. Citizens over the age of 65, medical personnel, the military have
been vaccinated. Despite the pandemic, we recorded positive economic growth
last year. We all know the strategic importance of Afghanistan. The Turkish
people are grateful for the longstanding friendship between our countries. This
year we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Turkish-Afghan
diplomatic relations. Over the past hundred years, we have shared solidarity
and stood together against many challenges. Therefore, it is our responsibility
as business organizations to maintain and even advance our friendship. This
needs to be passed on to future generations.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have
been in talks with partners in Afghanistan for a long time. “Turkish companies
have carried out over $7 billion in projects in Afghanistan. This volume of
trade is not enough. We can do more. The business climate has limited our
members to invest more in Afghanistan. But given Afghanistan's potential and
the normalization process, I am confident that we will achieve more. That is,
this twin chamber will be useful for such a partnership. Thanks to this twin
chamber, we can achieve a lot in the development of the business world,
business support organizations and the business environment."
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that Afghan business organizations are working together on various platforms, “We
supported the first Afghan President of the ECO Chamber of Commerce and
Industry. This is very important. It is of course good to have strong
representation in these organizations. It is important to have continuity and
stability. I understand you continue to reform the chamber system in
Afghanistan. This is good. However, this should not create confusion. The
Afghan Chambers Federation initiative looks very good. You have managed to bring
together all the chambers under a single umbrella. You may need to clarify the
international representation of your chambers system. We are ready to work
together and provide all manner of technical support if needed.”
Ismail Ghazanfar, President of the
Afghan Federation of Chambers (AFN), said that they experienced economic
problems during the pandemic, but that they were also trying to develop
opportunities. Ghazanfar stated that they are trying to use technology more and
increase digitization, emphasizing that they see the Turkish people as friends
and thanking TOBB for all its support.