Women-owned Businesses Key

Michael Delaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative, speaks with Minister Ahady on bilateral trade and investment.

December 11, 2011

Today, Michael Delaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative, met with Minister Ahady from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries to discuss a wide range of investment climate issues and evaluate progress under the United States-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).

The meeting marks the sixth meeting of the United States-Afghanistan TIFA Council. The U.S.-Afghanistan TIFA, signed in 2004, has been the primary forum for bilateral trade and investment discussions between the two countries.  Issues discussed by Minister Ahady and Michael Delaney included supporting Afghanistan’s transition to a sustainable economy, market access, the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), trade promotion efforts, intellectual property rights, sector-specific investment challenges, and the New Silk Road vision.

“Both governments agreed to work together and develop specific action items to promote private sector engagement between the two countries,” said Michael Delaney, adding that support for, and empowerment of, women-owned businesses was key to promoting peace and security for all Afghans. 

The TIFA process has been the focal point of a sustained and multi-faceted high-level engagement between the United States and Afghanistan on trade and investment issues, including addressing impediments to greater trade and investment flows between the Parties.

The Parties expressed their desire to reach an agreement in the coming weeks on dates for the next TIFA Council meeting to be held in Washington in 2012.