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Stanikzai warns Pakistan against closing the trade route from Afghanistan
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the political deputy minister of foreign affairs, has called on Pakistan to avoid creating problems for Afghan traders especially during the trading season of summer fruits and vegetables.
Addressing a gathering of traders in Logar province, Stanikzai said that closing the trade and transit route into Pakistan is not in the interests of either country.
“Afghanistan is a transit route between Pakistan and Central Asia,” he said. “We can do the same. We can close our borders. We can create problems for them, but we don’t want to create problems for our Pakistani brothers across the border.”
“We therefore ask them to keep their borders open during the fruit and vegetable season in Afghanistan so that fruits and vegetables can reach their people and provinces and through them to India and other countries.”
This is the first time that Kabul has hinted at closing Pakistan’s transit route to Central Asia in response to Islamabad’s trade hurdles.
Officials at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce say they are trying to remove export obstacles as achieving economic self-sufficiency is one of the priorities of the Islamic Emirate.
The closure of trade routes to Afghan traders during the fruit and vegetable season, raising customs tariffs by Pakistan and non-compliance with trade agreements between the two countries have caused Afghanistan’s exports to Pakistan to fall by 10 percent in the first five months of this year.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it will continue providing its essential health services to the people of Afghanistan.
In a post on X, the organization, referring to Afghanistan’s health needs, said that over the past year it has been active in various health sectors across the country, ranging from maternal and child care to emergency response, as well as the treatment of patients suffering from tuberculosis and severe injuries.
According to MSF, its teams over the past year have been present at a range of health facilities, including neonatal intensive care units, operating theatres, surgical centers, and specialized tuberculosis treatment wards, where they have delivered life-saving services to patients.
The organization stressed that it will continue ensuring the provision of health services, particularly for needy families and vulnerable communities in remote areas of Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan, currently run by diplomats of the previous government, has announced that it will suspend its operations in Tokyo after the end of January 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy said the decision was made after consultations with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with Japanese authorities, and in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The embassy added that after January 31, all of its political, economic, cultural, and consular activities will be halted until further notice.
Currently, Shaida Abdali is serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Japan.
Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, held a courtesy meeting with Zakir Jalali, the Second Political Deputy of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the start of his mission.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul said in a post that the meeting included mutual exchanges of views on bilateral relations.
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