KABUL - The Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) on Thursday termed the sixth two-day Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (REECA) that began on Thursday in Kabul as vital for the economic development of Afghanistan and re-integrating regional economies.

Mohammad Qurban Haqjo said Afghanistan should be credited for creating the RECCA 10 years back with the main purpose to boost economic activities on regional level something that would ultimately benefit Afghanistan the most.

Haqjo, however, suggested the RECCA should have a secretariat to implement agreements and pledges made in the summits.

He said the RECCA’s previous summits lacked practical implementation of the pledges and Afghanistan should stress in the ongoing meeting implementation of economic cooperation pledges.

The 6th REECA summit titled “The Silk Road Through Afghanistan” got underway in capital Kabul on Thursday.  The event began at 9:20am. Government officials, including those from the Presidential Palace and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)'s office were present at the conference.

Representatives of around 30 countries and international organisations are also taking part in the regional summit the agenda of which include ambitious regional energy projects like CASA-1000 and TAPI and enhancing regional economic cooperation.

Haqjo also said the revival of Silk Road, Lapis Lazuli Transit Corridor, Chabahar Port in Iran, Afghanistan-China-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Iran and Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Turkmenistan railroads, and better jobs for Afghan labourers in the Gulf States topped the summit agenda.

Incepted in 2005, so far five meetings of RECCA have taken place hosted by Kabul, New Delhi, Islamabad, Istanbul and Dushanbe. (Pajhwok)