The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that its Strategic Studies Center has conducted a discussion on the upcoming Doha meeting and how the Islamic Emirate interacts with the international community.

According to the ministry, Mohammad Zakir Jalali Director of the third political department of the IEA MFA, employees of various departments and diplomats took part in the discussion.

Jalali said in this discussion that compared to the first and second Doha meetings, a positive change can be observed in the interaction of the organizers and the hosts with regards to the third meeting.

He said the Islamic Emirate wants positive interaction with the international community; but does not want this interaction to be at the cost of political independence, religious and national values, and the dignity of the system and homeland.

The Presidents of Russia and Uzbekistan this week discussed the issue of Afghanistan and emphasized the need for peace and stability in the country.

TASS News Agency reported that Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted this in a joint statement during the Russian President’s visit to Uzbekistan.

“The leaders of the countries prioritize achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan as a factor influencing the security of Central Asia and neighboring regions,” the statement read.

Both countries “intend to coordinate their efforts within the framework of the Moscow format, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other mechanisms to achieve concrete results in resolving the situation in Afghanistan.”

They also assessed the first session of the working group on the development of the Belarus-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan transport corridor.

Putin visited Uzbekistan this week and reportedly signed an agreement with his Uzbek counterpart to establish a “small nuclear power plant.”

According to the Associated Press, Russia will build this plant – Central Asia’s first since the Soviet Union’s collapse.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum on Tuesday announced that it has sold 60,000 tons of crude oil extracted from Qashqari wells in Sar-e-Pul province for around $33 million.

A total of 18 companies participated in the bidding ceremony held on Tuesday.

In the ceremony, Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Shehabuddin Delawar said that if the contracted company performs better, extraction of oil in Qashqari will increase to 3,000 tons per day.

Delawar said that some foreign companies are interested in investing in the oil sector in Afghanistan.

“Let’s work hard and extract oil. God has brought security, Islamic system and transparency,” he said.

Officials of the winning company said that they will refine the purchased oil inside the country, noting that it will create job opportunities for locals.

Currently, more than 1,000 tons of oil are extracted from 24 oil wells in Qashqari.