Economic Deputy PM Meets Iranian Ambassador to Kabul

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, held a meeting at his office with Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Special Representative of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Iran’s Ambassador to Kabul.

The gathering was attended by Minister of Water and Energy, Mullah Abdul Latif Mansour, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Maulvi Ataullah Omari, Minister of Information and Culture, Mullah Khairullah Khair Khwah, and Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Tehran, Mawlawi Fazl Mohammad Haqqani. During the meeting, discussions revolved around bolstering political, economic, commercial, and transit ties between the two nations, as well as enhancing bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

Emphasizing the positive nature of Afghanistan-Iran relations, Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to further strengthen these ties. Mullah Baradar Akhund remarked that this year, thanks to the blessings of Allah Almighty, the region experienced heavy rainfall. Consequently, after enduring several years of drought, the water of the Helmand River has now reached Nimruz province and Sistan in Iran.

This development is expected to alleviate the challenges faced by the local populace. Mullah Baradar Akhund called for enhanced transit facilities for Afghan goods destined for European countries through Iran, citing it as an essential measure to elevate transit and trade levels between both nations.

He also mentioned the productive collaboration between technical committees from both sides post their visit to Iran, yielding positive outcomes across various spheres. The Iranian ambassador expressed satisfaction regarding the arrival of water from the Helmand River to Sistan. He affirmed Iran’s readiness to address banking issues for traders, collaborate on environmental protection initiatives, modernize the agricultural sector, and augment Afghanistan’s trade and transit via Iran.

Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund raised concerns about Afghan refugees residing in Iran, urging the Iranian authorities not to forcefully repatriate them and advocating for improved coordination between both nations on this matter.