Boosting ties: Taliban team off to Tehran

Kabul: A 26-member delegation of the Islamic Emirate led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi left Kabul for Tehran on Saturday evening to meet with Iranian officials. Talking to reporters at Kabul airport, Muttaqi said they will hold talks with the Iranian officials on political and economic issues, including bilateral trade. “We will try to form agreements with Iran on trade, economic, and political issues and we hope to have a fruitful visit,” Muttaqi said.

“We will have meetings on the mentioned issues. We hope to achieve good results,” Din Mohammad Hanif, acting minister for the Ministry of Economy said.

Meanwhile, acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi said they will talk with Iranian officials on importing gas and fuel from Iran to Afghanistan and will sign large contracts in this regard. “We will work to sign big contracts on fuel so our private sector can buy and import goods to meet the demands in the market and decrease the prices,” he said. “The private sector is also included in this visit and Iran will invest in Afghanistan’s energy and mining sector,” said Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, deputy head of the Chamber of Industry and Mines. This is the first official visit of a high-ranking delegation of the Islamic Emirate to Iran since it has been in power. Previously, a high-ranking delegation from Iran visited Afghanistan on November 2021 and discussed bilateral issues. —(Agencies)