India and Afghanistan held a virtual meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade, Commerce and Investment to review ways to deepen bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Both countries agreed to pursue follow-up measures aimed at making trade easier, improving connectivity and strengthening cooperation across important sectors such as pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
Major Areas Discussed
The meeting covered a wide range of issues related to trade and business ties:
- Trade facilitation and customs cooperation, including stronger customs coordination and data sharing.
- Visa facilitation to make it easier for Afghan traders to conduct business.
- Banking and financial cooperation to support smoother commercial transactions.
- Pharmaceutical and agricultural trade, including greater regulatory coordination.
- Energy cooperation and opportunities for greater economic engagement.
- Investment and trade promotion to encourage business activity between the two countries.
- Tariff concessions to facilitate trade.
- Cargo connectivity and port-related issues to improve the movement of goods.
Focus on Sectoral and Business Cooperation
Both sides agreed to strengthen institutional cooperation and take follow-up action in the areas identified during the meeting.
Particular emphasis was placed on:
- Enhancing customs and trade-related data-sharing mechanisms.
- Improving regulatory cooperation in pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
- Strengthening trade connectivity.
- Promoting investment and business-to-business (B2B) engagement.
Continued Economic Engagement
India and Afghanistan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their trade, commerce and investment relationship. They also agreed to maintain continued engagement on the issues discussed during the meeting.
The virtual meeting was attended by officials from both countries, including representatives from commerce, industry, customs, regulatory authorities and diplomatic missions.