Afghan PM accepts credentials of Belarusian ambassador

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, prime minister of the Islamic Emirate, has received the credentials of Aleksandr Ogorodnikov, Belarus’ non-resident ambassador and special envoy to Afghanistan, during a ceremony at the Arg in Kabul.

Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Mullah Abdul Wasi, director general of the Office of the Prime Minister, also attended the ceremony. The two sides discussed expanding political, economic and transit relations between Afghanistan and Belarus.

Akhund described the start of the ambassador’s mission as a sign of a new chapter in relations between the two countries and expressed hope that his appointment would further strengthen political, economic and transit cooperation between Kabul and Minsk. He said Afghanistan was ready for comprehensive cooperation in these areas.

For his part, Ogorodnikov expressed satisfaction with the start of his mission in Afghanistan and said Belarus planned to increase trade with Afghanistan in the fields of agriculture, food products and pharmaceuticals.

He also said recent visits by various Islamic Emirate delegations to Belarus had helped strengthen trust and expand bilateral relations.