Afghan farm minister says exporting fruits to Japan `priority`

TOKYO, March 4 Kyodo -
Visiting Afghan agriculture minister Asif Rahimi said Thursday that opening
Japanese markets to Afghan fresh and dry fruits plus nuts is an ''exceptionally
high priority'' and that doing so could contribute to the stability of his
country.
While noting that Afghanistan hopes to meet the quality standards for exporting
the foodstuffs, the minister said, ''We are very interested, our private sector
is very interested to be able to export our...fresh fruits and nuts that Japan
is importing from outside.''
''In short messages, if you want stability and peace in Afghanistan, buy our
products. I think this is much more important than any other bilateral
collaboration,'' he told a news conference, stressing that such products as
pomegranates, pistachios and almonds in his country are of high quality.
The minister of agriculture, irrigation and livestock is on a six-day visit to
Japan since Monday.
On Wednesday, he met with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada who promised
to offer continued Japanese support to the country in the area of agriculture
as it is the largest source of employment for the country.
Rahimi thanked Okada for Japan's reconstruction assistance over the past years,
including its decision to extend up to $5 billion in civilian aid to
Afghanistan over five years from 2009.
==Kyodo