Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with the Saudi ambassador in Kabul, Faisal Bin Talaq Al-Baqmi, and requested an increase in Afghanistan's Hajj quota.

The two sides also discussed expanding bilateral relations, providing consular services to Afghans living in Saudi Arabia and taking advantage of existing opportunities in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Muttaqi called the relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia valuable and historic and stressed that the exchange of delegations between the two countries should increase.

He also called on the Saudi kingdom to increase the Hajj quota for Afghans and help provide consular services to Afghans living in Saudi Arabia.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s statement, Saudi ambassador, Faisal Bin Talaq Al-Baqmi, described the bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia as historic and stressed that his country wants to help Afghans in various fields with its presence in Kabul.

He also said that the two countries can cooperate in different fields and the aim of resumption of Saudi embassy’s operations in Kabul is to use all existing potentials.

The National Procurement Commission on Saturday approved contracts for 17 projects worth approximately 3 billion afghanis.

The commission chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar made amendments to nine other projects, his office said in a statement.

The approved and amended project contracts include the construction of the Arghandi Transport Terminal in Kabul, the establishment of parking areas for freight vehicles in Guzara district of Herat province, the repair of the Aqina-Andkhoy and Turgundi railway projects, the extension of fiber optic networks in Kandahar, Helmand, and Farah provinces, the reconstruction of several internal roads in Kabul city, the completion of remaining tasks in electricity projects across various provinces, and several other projects funded by the Islamic Emirate.

Afghanistan’s deputy foreign affairs minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai has met with Belarus deputy foreign minister Sergei Lukashevich for discussions on economic and political commonalities as well as bilateral cooperation.

Lukashevich expressed the will of his government that they want to establish a foundation for cooperation in various fields with Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday.

Stanikzai stated in the meeting that Lukashevich’s visit to Kabul was a good start for long-term cooperation.

At the same time, the ministry of commerce and industry said its minister Nouruddin Azizi also met with his counterpart, who is also visiting Kabul.

The ministry said in a statement the deputy minister of industry, from Belarus, called for an increase in trade and investment with Afghanistan.

The two sides agreed to hold joint exhibitions, business conferences and business meetings between government delegations and the private sector of Afghanistan and Belarus.