Pezeshkian Calls for Easier Trade and Transit Routes With Afghanistan
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the country’s government bodies to remove obstacles to trade and transit with Afghanistan, a move made amid continuing customs problems, delays in cargo transfers and difficulties crossing border checkpoints.
Speaking on Wednesday at a cabinet meeting, he said economic relations between Iran and Afghanistan should not remain at their current level and that trade volume between the two countries must increase. According to him, government agencies should act to resolve the existing problems.
At the meeting, a report was also presented on the trip by Iran’s agriculture minister to Afghanistan. According to the report, the Taliban administration welcomed the expansion of economic cooperation with Iran and showed readiness to increase trade between the two sides.
Iranian officials at the meeting also reviewed the challenges at the two countries’ borders. Customs problems, delays in transferring commercial goods and difficulties in crossing border checkpoints were among the main issues raised.
Iran and Afghanistan share a long border, and a significant portion of trade between the two countries takes place through border crossings. Transit and customs facilitation have been among the main topics of economic talks between Tehran and Kabul in recent years.
