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India, Afghanistan to appoint commercial attaches to boost bilateral trade
According to M. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the PAI Division, both sides have committed to stationing trade attaches in their respective embassies to support and monitor trade cooperation.
India and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have agreed to appoint dedicated commercial attaches in each other’s capitals as part of a renewed push to expand bilateral trade, currently valued at more than $1 billion.
The decision was finalized during a meeting in New Delhi between Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Hajji Nooruddin Azizi and India’s Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasad.
According to M. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the PAI Division, both sides have committed to stationing trade attaches in their respective embassies to support and monitor trade cooperation. “The Afghan minister will soon be sending a trade attaché to the embassy here,” he said on Friday.
Prakash added that the air freight corridor connecting Kabul–Delhi and Kabul–Amritsar has been reactivated, with cargo flights expected to begin shortly. “This will significantly enhance and further strengthen our bilateral trade,” he noted.
The development comes just days after Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar instructed Afghan traders to gradually end commercial dependence on Pakistan within three months, citing repeated border closures and what he described as the “political misuse” of trade routes.
India and Afghanistan have also agreed to revive joint working groups on trade, commerce, and investment. Officials say the goal is to restore trade volumes to their pre-2021 level of more than USD 1.8 billion by fully operationalising the Chabahar Port route and simplifying customs and banking procedures.
During the meeting, Azizi urged India to expedite business visas, establish regular shipping lines from Chabahar Port, support the development of dry ports in Nimruz province, and streamline processes for Afghan goods passing through India’s Nhava Sheva Port.
Both sides also agreed to encourage joint investments in pharmaceuticals, cold storage networks, fruit processing, industrial parks, SME centres, and export processing zones. Azizi further proposed regular exhibitions, B2B engagements, and sector-focused conferences to deepen commercial ties.
The Indian delegation assured swift action, including strengthening air cargo links and banking channels, to boost economic cooperation. Azizi and his high-level delegation arrived in New Delhi earlier this week for a five-day official visit.
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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