By NARELLE COULTER
A NUMBER of deals are on the negotiating table following the success of the first business conference on Afghanistan held in Australia.
The conference, held at Dandenong’s Punthill from the 19 to 22 June, attracted nearly 100 delegates.
Organised by the Australian-Afghan Business Council, the event was designed to foster business opportunities between the two countries.
President of the Australian-Afghan Business Council Bashir Keshtiar said at least one Dandenong business was in talks about an export deal with an Afghan company as a result of the conference.
Fifty-five Afghan delegates attended the conference representing different sectors of the Afghan economy including education, agriculture, manufacturing and mining.
Mr Keshtiar said tangible results had already started to flow including discussions about exporting milk power, other drink products and cattle to Afghanistan.
An education committee has been formed to research the possibility of establishing an Australian university in Afghanistan.
The committee includes professors from both countries.
“We have been really, really pleased with the outcomes. The Australian-Afghan Business Council will monitor the progress of negotiations and measure outcomes over the next 12 months,” Mr Keshtiar said.
“We’ve learnt a lot from this conference, which was significant because it made history as the first conference held that hasn’t been about military or humanitarian aid but about trying to bring the business communities together and foster economic relations between the two countries.”
Mr Keshtiar hopes the conference will become an annual event. He wants to hold it in different parts of Melbourne and eventually Sydney and other important Australian business locations.
In the meantime the council will facilitate visits to Australia by Afghan delegations to harness the momentum created by the inaugural conference.
“We don’t want to wait for the annual conference. We want delegations representing education and agriculture to come throughout the year. There is so much opportunity.”
