IEA ministers meet Turkish and Japanese envoys in Kabul

The Turkish Ambassador in Kabul Cihad Erginay met with Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on Tuesday in Kabul.

According to the ministry the meeting focused on bilateral relations, political and economic issues, and issues of mutual interest with an emphasis on continued cooperation.

Also during the meeting, Muttaqi expressed the Afghan people and government’s sympathies to the Turkish ambassador for the recent earthquake, “assuring assistance with the Muslim brothers of Turkey within the limits of Afghanistan’s capabilities”, read the statement.

The Turkish ambassador expressed his gratitude for the sympathy, and solidarity from across Afghanistan.

“At least 41,000 people have lost their lives so far with the numbers increasing, and it seems that would be an unprecedented earthquake in the history of Turkey,” the ambassador told Muttaqi, as quoted by the ministry.

Meanwhile, Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani met with Japan’s Ambassador Takashi Okada on Tuesday afternoon, the interior ministry confirmed in a statement.

According to the ministry, Haqqani thanked Japan for its assistance and said economic sanctions and banking restrictions have harmed the people.

“The politics of sanctions is not in anyone’s interest. Only dialogue and understanding can solve the problems. Unfortunately, the world is punishing the common people with its political position, which is not fair,” Haqqani was quoted as having said.

“We know that the problems inherited from the occupation are unlimited, the leadership has to work hard to solve them and have a safe Afghanistan, a safe region and the world,” he said.

In turn Okada expressed his hope that in the next educational year, there will be no hindrance for girl’s education.

He hoped to solve the economic problems and existing challenges and promised cooperation.

“If the international community comes together with good intentions, there is great hope that the current atmosphere of mistrust will change and a language of understanding will emerge,” Haqqani told the Japanese ambassador.