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CSTO chief says plan to bolster Tajikistan-Afghanistan border on the cards

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Imangali Tasmagambetov, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has said the plan to strengthen the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan will be approved later this month.

In an interview with STV Belarus, Tasmagambetov said: “The Collective Security Treaty Organization will approve the plan to strengthen the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan on November 28 at a meeting in Astana.”

He stated that the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan was a serious problem and that the approval of the plan to strengthen Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan will allow member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to jointly guarantee the security of Central Asian countries.

The CSTO has on a number of occasions expressed concern about the security situation in Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate however, has repeatedly rejected claims of militant groups in Afghanistan and has said that the IEA will not allow any group to plan or carry out attacks from Afghanistan soil.

Tasmagambetov also discussed other challenges the organization faces.

“The CSTO is not an aggressive bloc. The task of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is to protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the member states that are part of our organization.

“If we talk directly about the challenges and threats, these are primarily transnational terrorism, religious extremism, drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking and illegal migration. We are working very seriously in all these areas,” he said.

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IEA PM extends congratulation to Syrian interim president

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Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, sent a congratulatory message to Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, for assuming the position of the presidency,” Office of the President of Syria said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement stated that Mullah Hassan, in this congratulatory message, wished Ahmed al-Sharaa success in overcoming challenges and achieving the goals and hopes of the Syrian people.

Hassan Akhund expressed hope that the fraternal relations between Afghanistan and Syria would be strengthened and solidified to benefit both nations,” the statement read.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8 last year, the position of president became vacant.

However, the duties of the head of state were conducted by a transitional government led by Mohammed al-Bashir in the role of prime minister.

On January 29, during the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference in Damascus, the Syrian General Command appointed Ahmed al-Sharaa as president for the transitional period after he had served as the de facto leader following the fall of the Assad regime.

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Tehran says Iran-Afghanistan water rights issue ‘unresolved’

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Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has rejected claims that the water rights dispute between Iran and Afghanistan was resolved in recent talks with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on Monday, Baghaei rejected the statements made earlier by Ali Reza Bigdeli, the acting head of the Iranian Embassy to Kabul, who had claimed that the water rights issue between the two countries had been resolved.

“We are certainly taking these technical matters into consideration. What has been attributed to our ambassador in Kabul is not accurate,” Baghaei said, adding that Iran will continue its efforts to secure its water rights.

Meanwhile, experts say Afghanistan and Iran have a treaty regarding water rights and adherence to it would resolve the issue.

“Until we understand the climatic conditions and based on that, seek our interests within the framework of the Helmand Water Treaty, I think we are moving further away from an understanding,” said Najibullah Sadeed, a water affairs expert.

Ali Reza Bigdeli during ongoing political and economic consultations discussed trade, transportation, health, and political cooperation issues with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet reacted to these statements, but it has stated on multiple occasions that Afghanistan is committed to meeting its obligations if water is available.

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World Bank reports Afghanistan’s economic recovery remains ‘fragile’

The World Bank report revealed that Afghanistan’s trade deficit surged by 54 percent in 2024, reaching $9 billion, which represents 45 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

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In their January Economic Monitor report, the World Bank noted Monday that while Afghanistan’s economic growth in 2023-24 was a positive development, growth remained insufficient to significantly improve social indicators.

“High poverty, unemployment, limited resources, and weak purchasing power continue to leave millions vulnerable,” the report stated adding that the outlook remains fragile due to policy uncertainty, financial isolation, and inadequate human and
physical capital.

“A rapid decline in foreign aid could further weaken aggregate demand, exacerbating economic pressures,” the World Bank stated.

The World Bank report revealed that Afghanistan’s trade deficit surged by 54 percent in 2024, reaching $9 billion, which represents 45 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The report attributes this decline to a five percent drop in exports, totaling $1.8 billion, primarily due to a reduction in coal and textile exports.

“Coal exports saw the steepest decline, plunging 64 percent to $92 million as Pakistan shifted to its traditional suppliers,” stated the World Bank.

The report highlighted an 11.5 percent increase in Afghanistan’s revenue collection, primarily driven by non-tax revenue and taxes levied at the country’s borders.

“Revenue collection remained strong in the first ten months of FY2024-25 (March 22, 2024 – January 21, 2025), totaling AFN 190.5 billion ($2.5 billion), or 12 percent of annual GDP,” stated the report.

The report also noted the country’s central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, suspended US dollar auctions from September 4 to December 9 last year, which contributed to the depreciation of the afghani (AFN). The auctions resumed in January 2025, with the bank injecting more than $100 million.

The World Bank noted that fragile trade relations with Pakistan pushed Afghanistan to diversify its export markets, with Iran, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan each contributing around three percent of total exports.

However, Pakistan remains the largest export destination, accounting for 45 percent, followed by India at 34 percent.

“Afghanistan’s export base remains heavily dependent on food and coal, which made up 60 percent of total exports in 2024, down from 80 percent in 2023,” the report read adding that “this
highlights the urgent need for Afghanistan to expand its export portfolio and reduce reliance on a few commodities and markets”.

The World Bank stated that domestic tax revenue meanwhile grew 11 percent to AFN 72.1 billion, contributing 2.8 percentage points to overall revenue growth.

Non-tax revenue increased by 22 percent to AFN 66 billion. This growth was driven by higher income from mining, tolls, vehicle registrations, passport issuance, transport services, railways, and telecommunications, the report read.

“Ministries responsible for non-tax revenue exceeded targets by eight percent, contributing 45 percent to inland revenue collection,” the World Bank stated.

Customs duties and fees grew 20 percent year-on-year to AFN 51.5 billion, contributing 4.5 percentage points to total revenue growth. This increase was fueled by higher imports, stronger trade ties with Iran and Central Asia, improved border management, and recent tariff adjustments.

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