Afghanistan's Industry and Commerce Minister Urges Turkey to Invest in Pharmaceutical Production

During a meeting on the sidelines of the Fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan's Minister of Industry and Commerce, asked Turkey to make investments in the pharmaceutical production sector of Afghanistan. He was speaking with Omar Bolat, Turkey's Minister of Commerce.

In the course of their conversation, the two ministers covered topics related to increasing the level of trade between Afghanistan and Turkey. They looked at how to improve the capacities that Afghanistan has in order to bring in investments from foreign countries in areas such as industry, mining, agriculture and the production of pharmaceuticals.

The Turkish Minister of Commerce extended an invitation to the Afghan officials, asking them to take part in every exhibition that is organized in Turkey. Meanwhile, the ministers from both countries exchanged invitations that are meant to encourage additional investment activities.

In addition to the diplomatic engagement, a study carried out by the United Nations has provided new information on the economic situation in Afghanistan. The study indicates that there was a surge in the trade deficit of the country in 2024, when it reached 9.56 billion dollars. This is an increase from the 6.72 billion dollars that was registered in 2023.

The United Nations study also notes that the situation is taking place at a time when the amount of international aid is going down. This trend is causing concerns that there may be an increase in the number of people living in poverty and that there could be negative effects on social stability within Afghanistan.