Business

Afghanistan Wants Kabul-Tehran Trade Deals Exempted From U.S. Sanctions

Published

6 years ago

August 7, 2018

(Last Updated On: October 24, 2022)

Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has pleaded the U.S. to exempt Kabul-Tehran trade deals from sanctions on Iran as the country heavily relies on the Iranian port of Chabahar to improve its economy.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned today that any country doing business with Iran will not trade with the US as the first set of US sanctions against Iran that had been eased under the landmark nuclear accord went back into effect.

Expressing deep concerns, the MoFA stated that U.S. sanctions on Tehran threatens to derail the lives of Afghan refugees in Iran, Kabul-Tehran trade deals and India, Iran, Afghanistan projects in Chabahar port.

“The Afghan government demand has always been the exemption in Iran’s sanctions. The Kabul-Tehran economic relation that helps development of infrastructures and Afghanistan economic development must be exempted,” Faramarz Tamana, head of MoFA Strategic Studies Center said.

Chabahar is the closest and best access point of Iran to the Indian Ocean and the country has devised serious plans to turn it into a transit hub for immediate access to markets in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and Central Asia.

According to statistics, Afghanistan is the fourth biggest country for the exports of Iran.

The statistics of Economic Cooperation Organizations of Chamber of Commerce also shows that the value of Iran exports to Afghanistan reaches to more than 2 billion dollars in a year.

“We require bank facilities. Currently, we cannot fund bank transfers to Iran. Because the money blocks in international SWIFT center,” Azrakhsh Hafezi, head of ECOCC added.

The Indian-backed Chabahar port complex in Iran is being developed as part of a new transportation corridor for Afghanistan that could potentially open the way for millions of dollars in trade and cut its dependence on Pakistan.

Afghan businessmen were hopeful that the port at Chabahar would replace Karachi.

In the meantime, economic analysts call on government to work on bilateral agreements to remove Afghanistan reliance on any country.

Business

Azizi calls on Malaysian investors to invest in Afghanistan

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 24, 2024)

Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, met with representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, defense and interior of Malaysia, along with other senior officials, on Wednesday and called on Malaysians to invest in Afghanistan.

The visiting delegation is being led by senior diplomat Dr. Shazelina Zainul Abidin.

According to the IEA’s foreign ministry, the two sides discussed bilateral trade, holding a business communication conference to strengthen trade relations between the two countries, the trade balance between Afghanistan and Malaysia, and creating a market for Afghan products, including carpets, cotton, and minerals.

According to the ministry, at the end of the meeting, the Acting Minister emphasized the increase of investment from regional countries in Afghanistan and called on Malaysian investors to also invest in Afghanistan.

Business

Afghanistan starts exporting via railway to Turkey

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 22, 2024)

The Ministry of Interior says that Afghanistan has started exporting goods to Turkey via the Herat-Khaf railway line.

In a post on X, the ministry said: “Afghanistan’s exports to Turkey started in a calm atmosphere through the Herat-Khaf railway line.”

The ministry added that one train will run daily for a month and then two trains will run daily.

According to the ministry, the security of Khaf-Herat railway line is provided by the guards of the National Public Protection Agency.

Khaf-Herat railway project not only connects Iran and Afghanistan by rail, but also completes a 2,000-kilometer route along the east-west rail corridor from China, through Uzbekistan, to Afghanistan, to Iran, and on to Turkey and Europe.

As a landlocked country, this railway network will provide a safe route to connect with Europe via Iran’s railway network and Iran’s southern ports.

This railway line is strategic for trade between Iran and Afghanistan and will allow six million tons of goods to be sent between the two countries.

Business

Afghanistan, Kazakhstan to hold joint expo in Kabul

Published

6 days ago

April 21, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 21, 2024)

A joint expo between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan will be held in Kabul in the next four days, officials said on Sunday.

Officials of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that the two-day expo will be held for the purpose of expanding and strengthening trade relations between the two countries.

“This expo will be held as a follow-up of the Kazakh-Afghan international expo, which was held in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan, with the participation of a large delegation of the government and the private sector of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” Abdulsalam Javad Akhundzadeh, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said.
“At this expo, domestic products from different sectors of Afghanistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan will be put on display for two days.”

According to officials, 40 large Kazakh companies, and 40 large Afghan companies will exhibit their products.

Mohammad Saber Latifi, head of the Afghanistan International Expo Center, said that fruits, minerals and commercial services will be displayed at the expo.

During the expo, various memorandums of understanding for the trade of goods are also expected to be signed by companies.