Russian ambassador in Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, on Sunday invited the political deputy prime minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir to participate in an international meeting that is expected to be held in Kazan city, Tatarstan.

According to a statement issued by the deputy PM’s office, in his meeting with the Russian ambassador, Kabir thanked him for the invitation to this meeting and said that relations between Russia and Afghanistan are important and friendly and Russian businessmen should invest in Afghanistan.

He added that relations between Moscow and Kabul benefit both sides and can help development and stability in the region.

According to the statement, the Russian envoy said that his country is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in various fields and wants to expand bilateral relations.

He added that cooperation and increased interaction between the Islamic Emirate and Russia can contribute to stability and economic development in the region.

The Directorate of Migration Affairs in Ghor says one person was killed, two were injured and more than 500 families displaced due to Saturday’s floods in two districts of the province.

The directorate added that floods occurred in Murghab and Chaharsada districts of Ghor, which affected more than ten villages in Marghab district and six villages in Chaharsada district.

According to the directorate, 55 shops, and 10 residential houses have been destroyed and the roads between the two districts are also blocked.

The directorate quoted Mir Ahmad Mosamem, the head of migrant affairs in Ghor, as saying that families from their original places are living in the open air in the mountains and are in urgent need of basic assistance.

According to him, the possibility of more losses is expected.

The ban on opium cultivation precipitated a staggering $1.3 billion loss in farmers’ incomes, equivalent to approximately 8 percent of the country’s GDP, the World Bank said in a new report.

The bank said that over the past two fiscal years, the real GDP of Afghanistan contracted by 26 percent, and the country’s economic outlook remains uncertain, with the threat of stagnation looming large until at least 2025.

According to the report, structural deficiencies in the private sector and waning international support for essential services are anticipated to impede any semblance of economic progress.

Half of Afghanistan’s population lives in poverty and 15 million people face food insecurity, it noted.

“Afghanistan’s long-term growth prospects depend on a significant shift from its previous reliance on consumption-driven growth and international aid to a more resilient, private sector-led economy that capitalizes on the country’s strengths,” said Melinda Good, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan.

“For a sustainable future, Afghanistan needs to address harmful gender policies, invest in health and education, and focus on the comparative advantages it has in the agricultural and extractive sectors.”

The World Bank pointed out that the increase in Afghanistan’s trade deficit is another challenge for the country’s economy. According to the bank’s report, in 2023, Afghanistan’s imports increased by 23% and reached $7.8 billion.