Mayor gets invitation to Afghanistan

By Shaun Inguanzo
KABUL’S mayor this week invited Greater Dandenong mayor Peter Brown to Afghanistan in a bid to help secure a trade relationship between the country and Greater Dandenong’s Afghan community.
The invitation was extended at a special meeting between the leader of Victoria’s Afghan community, Cr Brown, a State Government representative and Afghanistan’s ambassador to Australia at the Springvale Council Chamber on Tuesday.
Ambassador Mohammad Anwar Anwarzai visited Greater Dandenong this week and said it was the most significant leg of his Victorian tour.
Based in Canberra, Mr Anwarzai said he was invited by the State Government to tour various Afghan communities, before returning to the nation’s capital this week.
In his discussions with Cr Brown, Mr Anwarzai said he was impressed with how Greater Dandenong’s Afghan community had integrated with the city through businesses and being ratepayers.
But he said he would like to see the Afghan business community work towards building an international trade relation with businesses in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.
Mr Anwarzai then invited Cr Brown to Kabul.
“At a time mutually acceptable to mayor Brown, that is the time the visit will take place,” he said.
Cr Brown welcomed the invitation and said the decision to go abroad would be subject to council approval.