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Baradar lays foundation stone for industrial township in Balkh
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, on Friday laid the foundation stone for the Imam Shaqiq Balkhi Industrial Township at the Hairatan Two-Way intersection in Balkh province.
Speaking at the ceremony, Baradar said the Islamic Emirate’s priority is to gradually transform Afghanistan into a productive country and turn its young population into a productive workforce.
He said efforts are also underway to connect industries, production and markets and make Afghan products available in regional and international markets.
Baradar described the Balkh industrial township as a practical demonstration of the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to developing an industrial and productive economy.
According to Baradar, the project will help address the shortage of industrial land in Balkh, create opportunities for businesses, reduce dependence on imports and provide jobs for thousands of people.
He said Balkh is one of Afghanistan’s key commercial, transit and industrial provinces and called for the Hairatan port and transport route to play a greater role in exports.
“Hairatan should not only be a route for imported goods and regular traffic,” Baradar said, adding that it should become an important transit corridor for exporting Afghanistan’s processed and manufactured products.
Baradar also called on the international community to expand formal economic relations with Afghanistan and remove financial and banking restrictions.
He said the Islamic Emirate has both the capacity and determination to participate in regional and global economic partnerships.
At the ceremony, Baradar urged industrialists to invest in different sectors within the new township and said the government would provide the necessary facilities and cooperation.
The Balkh Industrial Township will be developed on 22,000 jeribs of land. It is expected to provide space for businesses involved in processing raw materials, manufacturing standardized products and exporting finished goods.
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Iran plans new four-nation meeting on Afghanistan amid regional diplomatic efforts
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced the plan during his weekly press briefing on Monday, November 2.
Iran is preparing to host a new four-country meeting on Afghanistan in the coming months, as regional powers continue diplomatic consultations on Afghanistan’s security, political situation and future cooperation.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced the plan during his weekly press briefing on Monday, November 2.
Baghaei said Tehran was making preparations for the meeting and had already conducted diplomatic visits as part of the process. However, he did not disclose the participating countries, the exact date or the proposed agenda.
Previous meetings under this format have involved Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan, with discussions focusing on regional security, counterterrorism, economic cooperation and engagement with Afghanistan’s current authorities.
The latest ministerial-level meeting among the four countries was held in New York on September 25, 2025, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The participants called for stronger regional cooperation, counterterrorism coordination, humanitarian assistance and greater economic engagement with Afghanistan.
The proposed meeting comes amid continued regional diplomatic initiatives on Afghanistan. Russia hosted the eighth Moscow Format consultations on October 5, 2026, bringing together representatives from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and several Central Asian countries.
Discussions at the Moscow meeting covered regional security, counterterrorism, narcotics, humanitarian assistance and economic cooperation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has expressed serious concern over reports that the United States plans to transfer some Afghan migrants to Pakistan, urging Washington to act responsibly and cautiously.
In a statement, the ministry said it had received reports that the US intends to send Afghan nationals who have so far been unable to obtain legal residency documents in the United States to Pakistan.
The ministry said the Islamic Emirate considers the protection of the rights of all Afghan citizens its responsibility and stressed that Afghans, wherever they are in the world, should be treated in accordance with applicable laws, accepted principles and respect for human dignity.
It called on the United States to ensure that any decisions or actions concerning Afghan nationals are taken through clear bilateral understanding, necessary coordination and with due consideration for their rights and legitimate requests.
The ministry also said third countries should not make deals over the fate of another country’s citizens in exchange for temporary benefits or other considerations at the expense of human dignity, individual rights and accepted humanitarian standards.
The statement added that the Islamic Emirate remains committed to constructive engagement and cooperation to facilitate the safe, dignified and voluntary return of Afghan citizens.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that he could have won the war in Afghanistan within three weeks, criticising previous American presidents for failing to pursue victory during the country’s longest military conflict.
Speaking at a midterm election campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Trump said successive US administrations had failed to fight wars with the clear objective of winning.
“Afghanistan, years and years. Then, we never fight to win. We don’t fight to win. We fight to tie,” Trump said, referring to the US military involvement in Afghanistan.
He claimed he could have brought the war to an end within a few weeks, saying: “I could have won that war in three weeks.”
Trump also made a similar claim about the Vietnam War, saying he could have won it in one week.
The United States launched its military campaign in Afghanistan in October 2001, following the September 11 attacks. The conflict continued for nearly 20 years before US forces completed their withdrawal in August 2021.
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