Mujahid: Kabul seeks broader diplomatic and economic ties, including with US

Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says Afghanistan’s relations with regional, neighboring and influential countries have improved over the past year.

Speaking at the fifth session of the “Government in the Media Mirror” program in Kabul, Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate had made progress during the past Hijri year in expanding political, trade, economic, transit and consular relations with other countries.

Mujahid said Afghanistan needs diplomatic and economic relations with the United States, arguing that such ties should have been established long ago.

He stressed that Kabul’s foreign policy is not limited to Washington and said the Islamic Emirate seeks relations with all countries that do not currently have formal diplomatic ties with Afghanistan.

Mujahid also highlighted the Islamic Emirate’s counter-narcotics efforts, saying more than 46,000 operations were carried out during the past Hijri year, resulting in the seizure of more than 2,159 tons of narcotics.

He added that more than 21,500 hectares of drug crops were destroyed, along with 533 drug-production facilities, during the same period.