Afghanistan, Iran step up labor and agriculture cooperation through high-level visits

In an effort to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation, an official Iranian delegation led by Seyed Malek Hosseini, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, has travelled to Kabul.

According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Iranian delegation met with Abdul Manan Omari, the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral labor relations, regulating and facilitating the exchange of workforce, expanding technical and vocational training programs, and ensuring the rights of Afghan workers residing in Iran.

Meanwhile, officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock held separate meetings in Iran with the deputy minister for water and soil at Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture. The talks centered on the exchange of technical expertise in water management, conservation of water resources, and the use of modern irrigation systems, including drip and sprinkler irrigation technologies.

Afghan officials also emphasized that Afghanistan is prepared to provide the necessary facilities and incentives to encourage private sector investment from Iran in the agricultural sector—an initiative seen as vital for boosting agricultural production and improving water resource management in the country.

Observers say Kabul and Tehran are currently seeking to deepen economic and technical cooperation. While some analysts link this trend to recent tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iranian officials have stressed that the expansion of relations with Afghanistan is being pursued independently of recent regional developments.

These diplomatic and technical engagements indicate that Afghanistan and Iran are moving toward more practical and targeted cooperation, covering key areas such as labor and human resources, agriculture, investment, and water management.