Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has welcomed Turkey’s move to suspend trade with Israel over its war on Gaza.

Muttaqi expressed his appreciation during a meeting with Turkish Charge d’Affaires Cenk Unal in Kabul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released Sunday.

The meeting also focused on bilateral relations, recent positive developments in Afghanistan, the visits of political and economic delegations to Afghanistan from several countries.

FM Muttaqi underlined the commencing of trade with Turkey through the Lapis Lazuli route and opening of joint exhibitions in Turkey and Afghanistan.

According to the statement, the Turkish envoy said that they are happy with the recent developments in Afghanistan, and joined efforts need to be made for the further expansion of Turkey-Afghanistan relations.

He added that in the next few days, Turkish Airlines will commence its flights to Kabul.

The two sides reiterated promoting synergy to meet the expectations of the people of the two countries, given the historical backdrops and good bilateral relations, the statement said.

The Islamic Emirate has announced the appointment of a delegation headed by Chief of the Army Staff Fasihuddin Fitrah, amid protests in Badakhshan province over the killing of a local resident by security forces during poppy crackdown.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, emphasized in a statement that the decree banning poppy cultivation extends to all regions without exception.

“Regrettably, there have been incidents where offenders attempted to attack the security forces involved in the fight against poppy cultivation, resulting in tragic events,” he said.

The delegation includes Shamsuddin Shariati, the head of overseeing and monitoring directives and commands, Mullah Abdul Haq, deputy minister of narcotics control, Mullah Rahmatullah Najib, deputy general director of intelligence, and Abdul Momin, chairman of the Badakhshan Ulema Council.

Darayem district of Badakhshan has seen protests against the Islamic Emirate in recent days.

The Ministry of Interior has confirmed that one of the local people was killed in a clash with the forces tasked to destroy poppy fields in the district.

Following the concerns over terrorist threats from Afghanistan, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) says in a report that terrorist threats against US interests from Afghanistan and Pakistan are steadily rising.

The report stated that “Afghanistan presents growing space for terrorist groups compared to the period before the U.S. withdrawal.”

“ISIS-K [Daesh] presents a rising threat with reach beyond the immediate region, greater than during the pre-withdrawal period,” the report reads.

It added that “The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group has also returned as a regional security threat.”

“The study group’s final report evaluated and put forth policy options to mitigate terrorist threats and safeguard U.S. interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while maintaining the current focus on strategic competition,” the report added.

“Unfortunately, the geography of Afghanistan and the relations of terrorist groups in the region have caused the countries of the region and the world to express concern about possible challenges. The Islamic Emirate should take measures to form an inclusive government so that the spirit of the regional fight against terrorism is practically strengthened and launched,” said a military expert.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has called the report “baseless” and said that it has no relationship with al-Qaeda and that Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan.

IEA’s deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fetrat added that there is no terrorist group in Afghanistan and the government does not allow Afghan soil to be used against other countries.

“The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against the interests of countries. Once again, we assure the countries of the world and the region that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against their interests, nor is Afghanistan a threat to them,” Fetrat stressed.