Latest News
Kandahar opens first agricultural testing lab
Kandahar has inaugurated its first-ever agricultural products testing laboratory, a $2 million facility launched in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Baradar said the absence of reliable soil and water testing services over many years has harmed Afghanistan’s agricultural sector, reducing productivity and limiting growth. He described the new laboratory as an important milestone that will help improve the quality, safety, and value of domestic agricultural goods.
The state-of-the-art facility is equipped to assess product quality, diagnose plant diseases, and support the standardization of agricultural production across the country. Laboratory officials noted that the center has been built to international standards and can evaluate agricultural goods from multiple scientific and technical perspectives.
Ziaulhaq Waziri, the head of the laboratory, said the new facility will allow Afghanistan’s agricultural exports to be tested and certified inside the country in line with global requirements.
While Afghanistan produces high-quality agricultural goods, officials emphasized that additional testing and compliance with international standards remain essential for strengthening the country’s export capacity and competitiveness.
A 13-member delegation of Afghan traders and industrialists has departed for Iran to strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries.
The delegation is visiting Iran at the official invitation of the Iran-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and in coordination with the Afghanistan-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce.
During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet with Iranian economic officials, attend bilateral trade meetings and visit industrial centers across the country.
The visit will also focus on exploring new investment opportunities, expanding joint ventures, exchanging expertise and identifying ways to strengthen economic cooperation between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Iran.
France is holding technical discussions with Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan authorities to facilitate the return of Afghan nationals living in the country without legal immigration status, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has confirmed.
Speaking before the French parliament on Monday, Nunez said Paris was seeking arrangements to return a number of Afghans who are in an irregular immigration situation.
“We are trying to obtain the possibility to return a certain number of Afghans who are in an irregular situation. These are technical discussions,” Nunez told lawmakers, adding that other European countries, including Germany, were pursuing similar arrangements.
The French minister said some Afghan nationals could pose threats to public order and described their deportation as a priority for the government.
According to AFP, France had already begun discussions with IEA authorities in early October to facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals.
Although France does not officially recognise the Islamic Emirate administration or maintain diplomatic relations with it, Paris has joined around 20 European Union countries, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden, in efforts to accelerate the return of Afghan nationals, particularly those convicted of criminal offences.
However, the discussions have drawn criticism from some French lawmakers and human rights groups.
Lea Balage El Mariky, a lawmaker from the Ecologists party, accused the French government of moving towards normalising relations with an IEA she criticised over restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a meeting held in Brussels in June between a IEA delegation and representatives from 15 EU countries also faced criticism from human rights organisations and left-wing European lawmakers. The discussions focused on irregular migration and increasing deportations.
In September, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern over what he described as international silence surrounding Afghanistan’s worsening human rights and humanitarian situation, calling for an end to forced returns.
A coordination meeting on economic cooperation between Afghanistan and the Russian Federation was held in Kabul under the chairmanship of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs said that the Ministry of Finance presented a report on the latest meeting of the Afghanistan-Russia Joint Economic Commission.
According to the statement, a plan to advance the commission’s work has been prepared and submitted to the office of the leader of the Islamic Emirate for final approval. It added that an economic cooperation document, prepared with the Russian side on the sidelines of the recent
Kazan Forum in Tatarstan, has been finalized and is expected to be signed with the Russian Federation in the near future.
The meeting also discussed ways to implement the decisions of the latest session of the Joint Economic Commission, as well as investment opportunities and priorities in infrastructure, trade, electricity, transport, mining, higher education, agriculture, irrigation, livestock, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, business visa issuance, telecommunications and information technology.
Participants also reviewed and identified investment opportunities and priorities in these sectors.
Tahawol: Iran hosts quadrilateral talks on Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Deportation of undocumented Afghans from France discussed
Arman FC secure 3-1 victory over Sarsabz Yashlar in ACL
13-member Afghan trade delegation heads to Iran
France in talks with IEA authorities to facilitate return of Afghan migrants
Cricket Bonanza: Afghanistan set for packed international schedule
Afghanistan finish runners-up after 6-0 defeat to Brazil in futsal final
Trump says US will not attack Iran before midterm elections in November
Lionel Messi bids tearful farewell to Argentina after 3-0 win over Benin
Afghan futsal coach: Brazil tournament is first step towards new goals and World Cup
Tahawol: Iran hosts quadrilateral talks on Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Deportation of undocumented Afghans from France discussed
Tahawol: calls for dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad
Saar: Trump’s remarks on Afghanistan war
Tahawol: US offers to ease Kabul-Islamabad tensions
-
Business4 days agoUS sanctions and blockade measures disrupt Iran’s trade with Afghanistan and regional neighbors
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan crowned 2026 Hong Kong Sixes champions after beating Australia in final
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan storm into Hong Kong Sixes final after beating Scotland
-
Sport5 days agoRashid Khan makes history as first-ever bowler to claim 200 T20I wickets
-
Business5 days agoAfghanistan inaugurates first phase of Kandahar cement factory
-
Health4 days agoAfghanistan to launch nationwide polio vaccination campaign
-
Latest News4 days agoUNHCR: 6.3 million Afghans have returned since 2023, 60 percent reportedly forced to return
-
Latest News4 days agoTurkish intelligence captures suspected Daesh operative in Afghanistan-Pakistan region