Kabul, March 07: Afghan Deputy Minister for Commerce and Industry Mohammad Sharif Sharifi says Afghanistan attaches great importance to the expansion of its economic and trade relations with Iran.
“The Islamic Republic possesses enormous technical and engineering capabilities that it could share with Afghanistan,” IRNA quoted the Afghan official as saying on Sunday.
He reiterated that Kabul would create good conditions for Iranian private companies to invest in Afghanistan and said “the Afghan government supports foreign investment in the country and guarantees the investments.”
Sharifi said Afghanistan is currently in need of massive investment in its energy, agriculture and mining sectors and Iran can play a major role in that respect.
According to Iran’s Commerce Ministry, the Islamic Republic’s non-oil exports to Afghanistan have exceeded $1.3 billion in the current Iranian year ending March 20.
Afghan officials on different occasions have shown a commitment to provide security for Iran’s private sector that remains active in Afghanistan.
Iran has played an active role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country began in 2001.
Iran’s contributions and financial assistance to the war-torn state has been significant, making the country one of the largest donor states to Afghanistan.
In addition to massive reconstruction contributions, the Islamic Republic has cooperated with the Afghan government in building roads and rail lines to expand cross-border transportation.
——–Agencies