Afghan foreign minister in Tehran for talks to boost ties and trade

Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has arrived in Tehran where he will meet Iranian officials to discuss ways to expand bilateral relations and trade ties.

The Afghan foreign ministry’s deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad said that Muttaqi, who is leading a 26-member delegation, is visiting Iran at the invitation of Tehran.

“The visit will focus on political, economic, transit, and refugee issues between Afghanistan and Iran,” Ahmad tweeted.

Before he left Kabul on Sunday, Muttaqi told reporters at the Kabul airport that they would also discuss ways to boost bilateral trade.

The government of Iran meanwhile said in a tweet that the Afghan delegation is scheduled to discuss economic cooperation, namely in banking, border markets, mining, business, and sports.

Also accompanying Muttaqi is the Minister of Economy Din Mohammad Hanif, Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, and the deputy head of the Chamber of Industry and Mines, Sakhi Ahmad Paiman