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IEA, EU discuss reactivating Afghanistan’s WTO membership
Ahmadullah Zahed, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, met late Tuesday with Veronika Boskovic Pohar, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union in Afghanistan, to discuss the reactivation of Afghanistan’s World Trade Organization (WTO) membership and the expansion of trade relations.
“During the meeting, discussions focused on the EU’s cooperation in reactivating Afghanistan’s WTO membership, facilitating the export of Afghan goods, establishing connections between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic Emirate and international exhibition organizations, and promoting the active participation of Afghan private sector members in global trade fairs,” said Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
The EU Chargé d’Affaires pledged to consult with relevant colleagues on the matters discussed and to share the outcomes with the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Meanwhile, the private sector has emphasized that Afghanistan’s return to the WTO is a key step toward expanding the country’s trade relations.
Economic experts have also stated that if Afghanistan is able to rejoin the WTO, it could help address many of the country’s challenges related to imports and exports.
Afghanistan’s membership in the WTO was suspended following the return of the Islamic Emirate to power in 2021. Currently, more than 150 countries are members of the organization. Afghanistan originally joined in 2015.
The International Crisis Group has warned that tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have reached a dangerous stage, cautioning that without a return to dialogue, more deadly violence appears inevitable.
In its recent statement, the group said last week’s strike on a Kabul hospital marked a major escalation, significantly raising the level of conflict between the two neighbors. Analysts note that exchanges of airstrikes and artillery fire have pushed already fragile relations toward a direct confrontation, raising the risk of a wider regional crisis.
The attack on the 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul killed over 400 people and wounded 265, intensifying international concern. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory—claims that Kabul rejects. Afghan officials, in turn, describe Pakistan’s attacks as violations of national sovereignty and “unjustifiable.”
The Crisis Group said that all the signs point to a spiral of escalating violence that promises much expenditure of firepower but little reward for Pakistan.
“But the fighting has further isolated Afghanistan on the international stage. While many foreign capitals conveyed condolences to the Afghan people after the 16 March strike, few foreign powers have condemned Pakistan’s military actions, and the calls on Kabul to restrain the militants based on its territory have grown louder,” it said.
The group said that foreign support is urgently needed to help Islamabad and Kabul find a way to overcome their mutual mistrust and address the threats from militants groups that both states are grappling with. “Unless the two neighbours return to dialogue, more deadly violence seems inevitable,” it added.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that a mortar shell of the Pakistani military regime hit Shanpat area of Nari district of Kunar province at 9:30 am on Sunday, killing one civilian and wounding another.
The injured person is a woman, he said.
Pakistani forces also opened fire on a civilian vehicle in Shakin district of Paktika province, but no casualties were reported, Fitrat said.
The Pakistani government had earlier announced that it would halt its attacks on Afghanistan until Monday night on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Germany was not informed of the appointment of a new Afghan diplomat in Berlin, according to a report by public broadcaster ARD, raising fresh questions about the Islamic Emirate’s expanding control over overseas missions.
The report states that an IEA-linked official has assumed the role of chargé d’affaires at Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin without prior approval from the German government. Under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, host countries must consent to such diplomatic appointments.
Germany does not formally recognize the IEA government, which returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces.
Undisclosed leadership role
According to ARD, the official—identified as Nebrasul H.—arrived in Berlin in July last year as a junior consular staff member, a position approved by German authorities. However, documents obtained by the broadcaster suggest he was also quietly appointed to lead the embassy.
He is reportedly acting as chargé d’affaires, effectively heading the mission and liaising directly with Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul.
The move highlights the IEA’s efforts to consolidate authority over Afghan diplomatic missions abroad, despite lacking broad international recognition.
Berlin ‘not notified’
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it had received “no notification of any personnel changes” at Afghan diplomatic missions in the country.
Berlin has consistently maintained that Afghan embassies should remain under representatives appointed by the former government of Ashraf Ghani, which was ousted in 2021.
Previous envoy sidelined
The report also claims that the previous head of mission, Abdul P., has been stripped of his authority and reduced to a largely symbolic role. He was originally appointed under the Ghani administration.
Despite being sidelined, he remains in Berlin, reportedly continuing to live in the ambassador’s residence and retaining diplomatic privileges.
Wider diplomatic shift
In a related development, ARD reported that another Afghan official who arrived alongside Nebrasul H. has assumed a leadership role at the Afghan consulate in Bonn, also without formal recognition from German authorities.
The developments suggest a broader strategy by the IEA to assert control over Afghanistan’s diplomatic presence in Europe, even in countries that do not officially recognize its rule.
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