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Afghanistan Wants Kabul-Tehran Trade Deals Exempted From U.S. Sanctions

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(Last Updated On: October 24, 2022)

Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has pleaded the U.S. to exempt Kabul-Tehran trade deals from sanctions on Iran as the country heavily relies on the Iranian port of Chabahar to improve its economy.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned today that any country doing business with Iran will not trade with the US as the first set of US sanctions against Iran that had been eased under the landmark nuclear accord went back into effect.

Expressing deep concerns, the MoFA stated that U.S. sanctions on Tehran threatens to derail the lives of Afghan refugees in Iran, Kabul-Tehran trade deals and India, Iran, Afghanistan projects in Chabahar port.

“The Afghan government demand has always been the exemption in Iran’s sanctions. The Kabul-Tehran economic relation that helps development of infrastructures and Afghanistan economic development must be exempted,” Faramarz Tamana, head of MoFA Strategic Studies Center said.

Chabahar is the closest and best access point of Iran to the Indian Ocean and the country has devised serious plans to turn it into a transit hub for immediate access to markets in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and Central Asia.

According to statistics, Afghanistan is the fourth biggest country for the exports of Iran.

The statistics of Economic Cooperation Organizations of Chamber of Commerce also shows that the value of Iran exports to Afghanistan reaches to more than 2 billion dollars in a year.

“We require bank facilities. Currently, we cannot fund bank transfers to Iran. Because the money blocks in international SWIFT center,” Azrakhsh Hafezi, head of ECOCC added.

The Indian-backed Chabahar port complex in Iran is being developed as part of a new transportation corridor for Afghanistan that could potentially open the way for millions of dollars in trade and cut its dependence on Pakistan.

Afghan businessmen were hopeful that the port at Chabahar would replace Karachi.

In the meantime, economic analysts call on government to work on bilateral agreements to remove Afghanistan reliance on any country.

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Turkey’s 77 keen to start up cement plant in Jawzjan

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(Last Updated On: March 27, 2024)

Turkish construction company 77 officials have met with the acting minister of mines and petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, about investing in a cement factory in Yatim Taq area of Jawzjan province.

The minister, Shahabuddin Dalawar, has said the ministry will cooperate with the company but first needs a proposal, including details around how they plan to implement the project as well as social development plans.

Turkey’s 77 company has been working on electricity generation projects in Afghanistan for several years.

A number of industrialists say that if more investment is made in the cement production sector, not only will domestic demand be met, but the country’s cement will also be exported.

At the moment, cement is being produced by private companies in the provinces of Kandahar, Parwan and Herat.

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Pakistan delegation discusses solutions with Azizi to resolve trade issues

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(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

Officials of the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday held a meeting with the visiting delegation of Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce where they discussed challenges around trade relations between the two countries.

The Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi said due to recent political tensions, trade and transit relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have faced problems. He said efforts are being made to find solutions to the existing problems and to distance political issues from trade issues.

The visiting delegation is in Kabul at the invitation of the ministry of commerce and industry.

Azizi said the Pakistani delegation said at the meeting that all commercial, transit and economic issues between the two countries will be discussed and efforts will be made to keep trade issues separate from political issues.

“We want to talk about issues that are especially in the field of trade and transit, and we want to prioritize all issues related to trade, we are trying to separate trade and transit from political issues,” said Azizi.

He also expressed hope that his meeting with the Pakistani delegation will help solve the existing challenges and improve and expand trade and transit relations between the two countries.

According to economic experts, since Afghanistan is a transit route between Central Asia and South Asia, the Islamic Emirate can use it to pressurize Pakistan so as not to create trade problems.

“Pressure should be put on Pakistan with the same means we have so that the agreement signed between us and Pakistan and they are forced to comply. We must use this agreement and use it correctly and we should be emotional and not say hostile words, but we want our right,” said Seyed Masoud, an economic expert.

Officials from the ministry also said that talks were held on other issues, including implementing the PTA preferential trade agreement or TAD, finalizing negotiations about APPTA, determining the date of air transit, 24-hour operations in the ports of Torkham, Chaman, and Spin Boldak.

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Pakistani delegation in Kabul to talk trade amid ‘deteriorating ties’

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(Last Updated On: March 25, 2024)

Despite ongoing tension between Kabul and Islamabad, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic Emirate has announced that a Pakistani delegation is visiting Kabul this week to discuss issues around bilateral trade relations.

According to reports, during this visit, the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce’s delegation is expected to discuss ways to remove obstacles around transit and trade at border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mohammad Zubair Motiwala, the Executive Director of Pakistan’s Trade Development Authority, said: “A high-level delegation led by the Pakistani deputy Minister of Commerce visiting Kabul on March 25 to build confidence and strengthen trust in trade flow between the two neighboring countries.”

“I hope this visit will lead to bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Both countries need to review their policies to simplify trade, reduce restrictions, and streamline transit at border points,” he said.

Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s ministry confirmed to the media on Monday that a delegation from Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce arrived in Kabul for discussions on issues related to bilateral trade.

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