KABUL (Pajhwok): Deputy Governor of southern Helmand province Mawlawi Rahimullah Mahmood says Afghanistan is ready to expand economic cooperation and joint investment with neighbouring Iran, a media report said on Wednesday.
He made the remarks during his visit to Iran’s South Khorasan province on Tuesday, Iranian Students News Agency (IRNA) reported.
He said the expansion of joint investments, exchange of expertise and facilitation of trade could significantly boost economic relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Referring to Afghanistan’s agricultural potential, he noted that the main goal was to benefit from Iran’s experience in agricultural mechanisation and improving the quality of agricultural production so Afghan products could become more competitive in regional and international markets.
He stressed the need to expand economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, adding that coordination between Afghan and Iranian traders and investors could pave the way for joint investments and stronger long-term economic ties.
Mahmood also pointed out that Helmand has valuable mineral resources, including stone deposits, but due to a lack of technical infrastructure, a significant portion of these resources is extracted and processed in an unstandardised manner.
He added that Afghanistan needs technical cooperation and knowledge transfer from Iran in this sector.
He said: “Using Iran’s experience in building factories and processing units can create significant added value for Afghanistan’s mineral products and facilitate broader exports to global markets.”
He further noted that between 300 and 400 cargo trucks currently cross the shared borders daily, but with improved infrastructure and customs facilities, this figure could rise to between 800 and 1,000 trucks per day, playing an important role in boosting bilateral trade.
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Shariatifar, deputy coordinator for economic affairs in Iran’s South Khorasan province, said South Khorasan and Helmand could become an important hub for trade, investment and economic cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan by leveraging their complementary advantages.
He added that both provinces have significant potential which, if harnessed jointly, could lead to a major boost in trade relations.
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