Afghanistan considering consulate in Kolkata

Kolkata, Feb 23 (IANS) Afghanistan is considering opening a consulate in Kolkata, its envoy to India said Monday.

"We have historic and emotional ties with Kolkata dating back at least 200 years. I have written to my government expressing my interest and awaiting reply," Afghanistan Ambassador Sahida Mohammad Abdali said on the sidelines of an event organised by Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industries here.

Asked over the timeframe, Abdali said: :I have proposed the consulate (to Afghanistan) to foster business and consular ties with Kolkataa it is in a proposal stage and the government is looking into it."

He said Bengali Nobel winning poet Rabindranath Tagore's book "Kabuliwala" has left a lasting impression on the Afghans who view the eastern metropolis with respect and is keen to foster ties here.

"When we talk of India, we relate to 'Kabuliwalaa'. Kolkata has been the first and primary destination for Afghan traders in India in the past," he said.

Abdali said the Afghan government is building foreign relations with India on the "sister city model" whereby it is equating India's cities with the counterparts there.

"The city of Mazar-i-Sharif connects well with Kolkata which is the cultural capital of India," he said.

The desert town is the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, famous for Islamic and Hellinistic archaeological sites.

The ambassador said businessmen from the city need to go to his country to invest in the untapped potential.

"It is a perception that we are not ready for business which is absolutely not the case," he said.