A delegation from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), led by Director General Sayed Karim Hashemi, attended the Third Turkmenistan Investment Forum in Ashgabat on October 1, 2026.

The forum was held at the invitation of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Economy and brought together official delegations, economic and commercial institutions, traders, and investors from several countries.

According to the ACCI, participants discussed investment opportunities, economic potential, and ways to expand trade and economic cooperation among participating countries.

The chamber said its delegation used the forum to present Afghanistan’s economic potential, explore investment opportunities, expand export markets, and strengthen trade and economic ties with Turkmenistan and other countries in the region.

On the sidelines of the forum, Hashemi invited the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan to visit Afghanistan at the head of a trade and economic delegation.

The invitation was welcomed, and the two sides agreed that the Turkmenistan chamber chief would visit Afghanistan in November 2026.

Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, has called for strengthening what he described as a “belt of defense, independence and dignity” from Afghanistan to Yemen.

Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran on Thursday, Qaani said: “We must strengthen the belt of defense, independence and dignity from Afghanistan to Yemen, and from Iran to Gaza and Lebanon, across the Muslim world.”

He also claimed that the so-called “resistance axis” continues on its path despite the killing of a number of its commanders.

The Quds Force commander further claimed that the United States had been expelled from Iraq despite its extensive capabilities and equipment, and had suffered a defeat against Iran.

Qaani added that the U.S. had believed it could force Iran to surrender within four days or, at most, two weeks, but instead faced circumstances that were different from its calculations.

Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt has said Afghan nationals convicted of crimes and staying in Belgium illegally should be returned to Afghanistan after completing their prison sentences.

“I do not want them walking freely around our territory,” Van Bossuyt said.

She added that discussions with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) over the return of such individuals do not amount to supporting the IEA.

“Afghan criminals who are staying illegally and are in our prisons, for example for the rape of minors, must return after serving their sentences,” she said.

Van Bossuyt said such contacts were aimed at addressing security concerns, including the safety of women and girls in Belgium.