Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the opening of the ceremony, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The epidemic in Turkey is still a big issue for society and the economy. So far the Turkish authorities have managed the situation well. We have managed to vaccinate more than 14 million of our citizens. Citizens over the age of 65, medical personnel, the military have been vaccinated. Despite the pandemic, we recorded positive economic growth last year. We all know the strategic importance of Afghanistan. The Turkish people are grateful for the longstanding friendship between our countries. This year we will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Turkish-Afghan diplomatic relations. Over the past hundred years, we have shared solidarity and stood together against many challenges. Therefore, it is our responsibility as business organizations to maintain and even advance our friendship. This needs to be passed on to future generations.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have been in talks with partners in Afghanistan for a long time. “Turkish companies have carried out over $7 billion in projects in Afghanistan. This volume of trade is not enough. We can do more. The business climate has limited our members to invest more in Afghanistan. But given Afghanistan's potential and the normalization process, I am confident that we will achieve more. That is, this twin chamber will be useful for such a partnership. Thanks to this twin chamber, we can achieve a lot in the development of the business world, business support organizations and the business environment."

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Afghan business organizations are working together on various platforms, “We supported the first Afghan President of the ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This is very important. It is of course good to have strong representation in these organizations. It is important to have continuity and stability. I understand you continue to reform the chamber system in Afghanistan. This is good. However, this should not create confusion. The Afghan Chambers Federation initiative looks very good. You have managed to bring together all the chambers under a single umbrella. You may need to clarify the international representation of your chambers system. We are ready to work together and provide all manner of technical support if needed.”

Ismail Ghazanfar, President of the Afghan Federation of Chambers (AFN), said that they experienced economic problems during the pandemic, but that they were also trying to develop opportunities. Ghazanfar stated that they are trying to use technology more and increase digitization, emphasizing that they see the Turkish people as friends and thanking TOBB for all its support.