By Bibi Amina Hakimi in TOLOnews Online, 05 Nov 2023 at 8:12 PM
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran, the office of the deputy PM said in a statement.
Mullah Baradar, while accompanied by a senior delegation of the Islamic Emirate, left Kabul for Tehran on Saturday.
The statement further said that the two sides discussed issues “concerning collaborative efforts in various domains, including politics, economics, education, culture, and more.”
Mullah Baradar emphasized the historical friendship and neighboring ties between Afghanistan and Iran, the statement reads, saying that he also highlighted the positive political, economic, and cultural connections between the two nations.
Mullah Baradar “provided a comprehensive overview of their trade and transit expansion plans with Iran, the establishment of technical committees to facilitate cooperation across various sectors, Afghanistan’s engagement with regional and global partners through Iran, increased trade opportunities, and investment prospects for Iranian investors in Afghanistan, streamlining visa issuance for Afghan citizens, and addressing the challenges faced by Afghan refugees residing in Iran,” the statement said.
Abdollahian pledged to the Deputy Prime Minister he would work for the enhancement of bilateral trade, provide necessary facilities in transit, establish committees for joint initiatives in diverse sectors, and resolve refugee-related issues, based on the statement.
“He also expressed his encouragement for Iranian investors to engage in Afghanistan and affirmed that relevant authorities would collaborate on these matters,” the statement said.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the Islamic Emirate officials’ visits to regional countries will yield “achievements.”
“This visit will be full of achievements in the creation of trust as well as economic and trade improvements,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said the delegation that traveled to Iran should discuss the transit challenges faced by Afghan traders.
“I think there are various problems. Our exports to Iran are very low. We don’t even have $5 million in exports to Iran but we have $2 billion in imports,” said Mohammad Younus Momand, deputy head of the ACCI.
The two sides also stressed the significance of the Wakhan-corridor, the deputy PM office’s said.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185896
