Afghanistan, Iran delegations meet to strengthen border cooperation

A meeting was held in Herat on Tuesday between Afghan officials and Iranian authorities on a number of trade and cross-border issues.

Hamidullah Motawakel, the Herat governor’s spokesperson, says this was the first such meeting and that both sides are trying to resolve the respective problems.

He said the delegations were split in two, and each group looked at problems spanning five sectors – railway, agriculture, border facilities, customs and the establishment of a common economic zone.

The delegations of both sides included officials from various government departments of Herat, officials of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, Trade and Investment, as well as the deputy governor of Khorasan, Iran, and Iranian businessmen and investors.

This is in addition to the four meetings already held between the joint economic delegation of Herat and Iran under the previous government. However, all issues and agreements were only theoretical and had not been implemented practically.