Afghanistan will bid for more trade and investment at a G8-sponsored conference next week that will push its ambition to revive the ancient Silk Route between Europe and Asia, an official said Tuesday.
The December 4-5 meeting will draw ministers and high-ranking delegates from about 12 countries to the capital to discuss trade and investment in the post-war nation, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmoud Saikal told reporters.
"Afghanistan is located at the heart of four major regions - the Far and the Middle East, Asia and South Asia," said Saikal. "Afghanistan can play a role in connecting the region's countries to each other."
The conference is to be attended by Afghanistan's six neighbours, regional nations such as Turkey, China and the United Arab Emirates, and some G8 countries.
After decades of war and political instability, which barred the country from foreign trade, it was ready for outside investment, Saikal said.
"Some five, four years ago, Afghanistan had security, political problems. But over the past four years, a significant percentage of these problems are resolved and now we're able to discuss economic relations with the region," he said.
Investment priorities were in the power and transport sectors, he said.
For example, "there are countries in the region that want to import power from Tajikstan. Afghanistan can play as a transit route between these countries," he said.
The ouster of the Taleban regime in a US-led invasion in late 2001 marked the end of decades of civil war and occupation. However remnants of the Taliban want to topple the new US-backed government and their deadly insurgency has kept security precarious.
More than 20,000 coalition troops under the command of the United States, and a separate 10,000-strong Nato-led peacekeeping force, are in the country to try to restore stability.