Afghanistan and India held the fourth round of their Joint Committee Meeting on Thursday, with discussions covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations.

According to Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the meeting was co-chaired by M. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran Division) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Shuaib Baryalai, Director General (First Political) at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The 4th round of India-Afghanistan Joint Committee Meeting, co-chaired by Shri M. Anand Prakash, JS (PAI), MEA, and H.E. Shuaib Baryalai, DG (First Political), Afghan MoFA, was held today. Discussions focused on the entire gamut of bilateral relations,” Jaiswal wrote in a post on X.

No further details on the agenda or outcomes of the meeting were immediately released.

For the first time in years, the German government is preparing to deport Afghan nationals, who have no criminal records and are not considered security threats, back to Afghanistan, according to a report by German newspaper taz.

A survey by taz among refugee councils in all 16 German states found that at least five Afghans who are neither convicted criminals nor considered a danger to public safety are currently being held in deportation detention. The responsible state interior ministries have not released official figures on the number of such cases.

Germany halted deportations to Afghanistan for several years after the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021. Germany’s policy changed in autumn 2024, when the previous coalition government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) carried out the first deportations to Afghanistan since the IEA takeover. At that time, only convicted criminals and individuals considered security risks were targeted.

The current government had already signaled in its coalition agreement that it intended to expand deportations to include Afghans without criminal backgrounds. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the Christian Social Union (CSU) has also negotiated arrangements aimed at facilitating deportations to Afghanistan, while allowing more IEA representatives to enter Germany for related procedures.

According to refugee councils, four of the five Afghans currently facing deportation are being held in Bavaria, while another is detained in Hesse. A sixth Afghan man was briefly held in deportation detention in Lower Saxony but was released on Tuesday after the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reportedly issued an incorrect notice.

The cases appear to share a similar pattern. According to taz, the individuals came to the attention of the Federal Police after leaving Germany temporarily. Two of them were reportedly returned to Germany under the European Union’s Dublin rules, while others were detained while attempting to re-enter the country.

Such situations do not automatically lead to deportation, but refugee organizations say there are indications that the treatment of Afghan nationals by German authorities has changed in recent weeks. The Federal Ministry of the Interior has denied that there has been any change in policy.

The German Interior Ministry has provided some new figures on deportations to Afghanistan. According to government data, 10 Afghans have been deported this year through individual operations, separate from larger charter flights.

In addition, 77 Afghans have been deported through charter flights so far this year. The latest charter flight in mid-June involved 92 federal police officers and cost more than €350,000.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Thursday inaugurated the construction of the second large-scale cement production plant in Jabal Seraj district of Parwan province.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar described the project as an important step toward strengthening Afghanistan’s industrial sector, achieving economic self-reliance and expanding domestic production.

He said Afghanistan has significant potential for industrial development because of its abundant natural resources, skilled workforce and strategic geographic location.

“Since the Islamic Emirate came to power, security has been ensured across the country, administrative corruption has declined to an unprecedented level, bureaucratic procedures have been simplified, and a safe and favorable environment for investment has been created,” Baradar said.

He added that the Islamic Emirate is working to transform Afghanistan from an import-dependent economy into one based on domestic production and exports.

Describing cement as a key material for infrastructure and construction projects, Baradar said expanding domestic production would reduce imports, prevent the outflow of foreign currency and create thousands of jobs.

He also called on foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan.

“The Islamic Emirate calls on all foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan’s various economic sectors,” he said.

Baradar stressed that economic growth requires joint efforts from the government, the private sector and the public.

“Economic development cannot be achieved by the government alone. The government, the private sector and the people must work together. If we properly manage our natural resources, expand industry and strengthen the culture of production, Afghanistan can become a strong industrial country in the region,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi said the new factory will have the capacity to produce 5,000 tonnes of cement every 24 hours, enabling it to meet a significant share of Afghanistan’s domestic demand.

“Since the Islamic Emirate returned to power and security has been ensured across the country, everyone has contributed to development and reconstruction according to their capacity, but we still do not have sufficient cement production inside the country,” Hanafi said.

He added that several cement factories have been established across Afghanistan over the past few years.

Ahmad Jan Bilal, Director General of State-Owned Companies, said Afghanistan is expected to become self-sufficient in cement production in the near future, eliminating the need to import cement from other countries.

Minister of Energy and Water Mohammad Younus Akhundzada said Afghanistan possesses abundant resources for electricity generation and should also strive to achieve self-sufficiency in the energy sector.