India bats for trade, connectivity in Af

India on Monday used a multilateral meeting to step up pressure on Pakistan, which is creating bottlenecks in the efforts to turn Afghanistan into a hub for regional trade and connectivity.

India hosted the eighth meeting of the Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce and Investment Opportunities under the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process in New Delhi on Monday.

The Heart of Asia came into existence in 2011 as a forum for regional cooperation to stabilise conflict-hit Afghanistan.

The meeting in New Delhi on Monday was attended by representatives of 17 countries and supporting international organisations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, European Union and the United Nations.

The Ministry of External Affairs issued a press release after the meeting in New Delhi on Monday. It said the participants had shared views on various measures and steps to promote transit and trade, and realising reliable and robust connectivity, with the hub being Afghanistan.

“This included the recognition of the need to make the existing transit and trade agreements more inclusive and comprehensive by expanding them both northwards and southwards to connect South Asia with Central Asia; strengthening growth of small and medium enterprises and involvement of women in economic development, including through women entrepreneurship; and simplifying customs procedures,” the MEA stated in its press release.

New Delhi has since long been arguing that war-ravaged Afghanistan would be able to achieve its optimal economic potential only if it was allowed freedom of transit to major markets in South Asia.