India-Afghanistan trade volume can reach $3 billion in few years: Shaida Mohammad Abdali

HYDERABAD: Afghanistan today said its trade with India has the potential to reach $ 3 billion in a short period of time from $ 600 million last year if all the proposed bilateral trade agreements become operational and called for more investments in the war-torn country.

"We have certain MoUs to be signed with the Indian government. I am confident that the bilateral trade would go up to $ 3 billion three years after those agreements are in place," Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Ambassador of Afghanistan to India, said here.

The trade between the two SAARC nations stood at over $ 600 million last year, he told reporters on the sidelines of a CII interactive programme.

Inviting investments into his country, the envoy said Afghanistan is a "virgin market", where there are ample opportunities for business houses to invest in sectors such as construction, telecom, mining and agriculture.

Abdali said his country has developed capability to tackle security issues on its own after US-led international troops leave Afghanistan by this year-end.

Without naming any country, he said Afghanistan had been a victim of "cross-border terrorism" and it has suffered a lot in last three decades.

Abdali said security situation in Pakistan, which is facing a Taliban-led insurgency, has become a cause of concern for the movement of goods between India and Afghanistan.

Trade between countries should not be held hostage to local politics, he said, adding that policies of the Narendra Modi-led government would help boost ties among all SAARC nations.