Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with representatives of countries that participated in a traditional wrestling festival in Kabul.

During the meeting, Muttaqi described cultural ties between Afghanistan and the region as historic, stressing that such shared traditions can serve as a foundation for stronger engagement. He said Kabul is seeking to expand and deepen its international relations through sports diplomacy.

The foreign minister highlighted ongoing efforts to facilitate visas and provide necessary support for athletes, noting that steps are being taken to ease participation in international sporting events.

He also said that since the return of the Islamic Emirate, notable progress has been made in promoting traditional sports across the country.

Representatives from participating countries praised the organization of the festival and the management of the event, as well as the standard of traditional wrestling in Afghanistan. They also expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation and joint initiatives in the field of sports.

The international traditional wrestling festival, hosted by Afghanistan, began last Thursday in Kabul, bringing together athletes from seven countries. Around 60 foreign and 100 Afghan athletes competed in the event.

Foreign participants included representatives from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Turkey, highlighting regional engagement through sport.

Noor Jalal Jalali, Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, held talks with Asilbek Khudayarov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Health, on strengthening and expanding health cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing the delivery of standard healthcare services.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Health, the meeting was held on Saturday at the governor’s office in Balkh province. Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, Governor of Balkh, and Haji Abdullah Zaid, Deputy Minister for Food and Pharmaceuticals at the Ministry of Public Health, also attended the meeting.

During the discussions, both sides addressed joint programs to enhance the capacity of health professionals, the supply of necessary factors for hemophilia patients, facilitation of visa issuance for patients, ensuring quality control of food products and medicines, and the provision of modern medical equipment for hospitals.

It was also agreed that joint technical teams would be formed to implement these initiatives and carry out necessary future actions.

In addition, officials from the Ministry of Public Health invited representatives of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies from Uzbekistan to invest in medicine production in Afghanistan and to expand cooperation in other health sectors as well.

The Uzbek Health Minister assured that his country would cooperate with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health in the mentioned areas.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior Affairs, met on Saturday with representatives and athletes from countries participating in the international traditional wrestling competitions in Kabul.

“The Ministry of Interior said in a statement that Haqqani stated during the meeting: “The arrival of athletes from different countries and their experience of warm welcome and hospitality here shows that the country is steadily moving toward progress, and the message of peace and stability of Afghanistan is being widely spread.”

Haqqani expressed appreciation to the athletes of the participating countries and said: “Athletes are unofficial sports ambassadors of their countries; therefore, they should take with them the message of peace, brotherhood, and a positive image of Afghanistan to their respective countries.”

He also assured the leadership of the Olympic Committee and representatives of Afghan athletes of all kinds of cooperation and support, and praised the hospitality extended to foreign athletes as well as the good organization of the competitions.

It is worth noting that Kabul is hosting an international traditional wrestling tournament, bringing together athletes, officials, and spectators in a display of sport and regional engagement