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IEA’s envoy meets China’s foreign ministry official, discusses Afghan prisoners
The ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in Beijing, Asadullah Bilal Karimi, on Friday met with the Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of China’s Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong and discussed the issue of Afghan prisoners among others.
According to a statement issued by the Afghan Embassy in Beijing, Karimi emphasized that security is ensured throughout Afghanistan and there is a good opportunity for Chinese companies to invest in Afghanistan in infrastructure, highways, energy and other sectors.
He stated that the Wakhan Corridor could be a key transit and trade route between the two countries, and expressed hope that both sides would speed up efforts to open the route.
Karimi said that the officials of the Islamic Emirate are ready to cooperate with the officials of the MCC company for starting practical work on Mes Aynak copper mine project.
The envoy emphasized that security of the region is related to the security of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate considers security, peace and stability important and vital for its own country and wants stability in the neighboring countries as well.
Karimi added that the four-decade war in Afghanistan has come to an end, drug addiction, corruption and many other problems have been stopped, and Afghanistan does not pose any threat, nor would the IEA allow this to happen.
According to the statement, the Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of China’s Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong reiterated China’s commitment not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and respect Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, and called the IEA’s efforts in the field of security important.
Liu said that it is also important that there is no problem in the relations between China and Afghanistan and efforts to stabilize relations should continue.
The Chinese official also said that he will encourage Chinese companies to invest in various fields in Afghanistan and expressed hope that the ground will be paved for the start of practical work on Mes Aynak copper project.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has called a United Nations report on Afghan opiates “tailor-made political propaganda” saying such publications do not help combat drug trafficking in Afghanistan.
The ministry said that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, published in late October, recorded an increase in the cultivation, production and distribution of Afghan opiates for the first time since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) imposed a ban in 2022.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the report, which the IEA has already rejected as politically motivated, appears unbalanced and relies on indirect evidence, including satellite images that are open to different expert interpretations.
According to UN estimates cited in the report, the area under poppy cultivation increased from 10,200 hectares in 2025 to 43,300 hectares in 2026, while opium production rose from 300 tonnes to 1,470 tonnes.
The ministry acknowledged that Afghanistan’s drug problem still exists and said authorities in Kabul are aware of the issue. It added that Afghan security forces conduct almost daily operations in various parts of the country to destroy drug laboratories and seize narcotics.
According to the statement, more than 7.4 tonnes of various narcotics and over 4.7 tonnes of precursor chemicals were seized in Afghanistan over the past week, while two drug laboratories were dismantled.
Cooperation between the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment and the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce has paved the way for exporting potatoes from Bamyan province to the Uzbek market.
In this regard, Sayed Karim Hashemi, President of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, and Doran Vahabov, President of the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, have agreed on the export of 100,000 tons of Bamyan potatoes to Uzbekistan. Work is underway to finalize the export agreement.
Meanwhile, the first shipment of potatoes, consisting of eight trucks, has departed for the Uzbek city of Termez through the Hairatan Port.
The chambers of commerce of both countries, in cooperation with local authorities in Bamyan, have facilitated connections between traders and farmers and coordinated the purchasing, marketing, and transportation of the produce. This initiative is expected to expand market opportunities for Bamyan farmers and strengthen trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk in Kabul on Thursday evening, emphasizing the need to strengthen bilateral relations and expand economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement from the Presidential Palace, several senior officials from both countries attended the meeting, including Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and representatives of Russia’s political and economic sectors.
Akhund described Afghanistan’s security and stability as favourable conditions for foreign investment and thanked Moscow for recognizing the Islamic Emirate and supporting Afghanistan in international forums.
Meanwhile, Overchuk praised the security situation and developments in Afghanistan, expressing Russia’s interest in investing in various sectors of the country.
He said around 70 representatives of Russia’s private sector were accompanying the delegation and were expected to hold discussions with relevant ministries and institutions of the Islamic Emirate on trade and investment agreements, as well as ways to address existing obstacles.
The Russian deputy prime minister reaffirmed his country’s support for Afghanistan in various fields.
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