The deputy governor of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, Mawlawi Rahimullah Mahmoud, announced that his country is ready to expand economic cooperation and joint investment with neighbouring Iran.
Mahmoud made the remarks during his visit to Iran’s South Khorasan province on Tuesday, according to the Iranian news agency (IRNA). He explained that expanding joint investments, exchanging expertise, and facilitating the movement of trade would significantly strengthen economic relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Pointing to Afghanistan’s agricultural potential, he indicated that the main objective lies in benefiting from Iranian expertise in the field of agricultural mechanisation and improving the quality of agricultural production, making Afghan products 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 closer economic relations over the long term.
Mahmoud also noted that Helmand province is rich in valuable mineral resources, including stone deposits, though a large portion of these are extracted and processed by non-standard methods due to a lack of technical infrastructure. He added that Afghanistan needs technical cooperation and knowledge transfer from Iran in this sector.
He said: “Benefiting from Iranian expertise in establishing factories and processing units could create significant added value for Afghan mineral products and facilitate the expansion of exports toward global markets.”
He further noted that the number of cargo trucks crossing the shared border daily currently ranges between 300 and 400, but this figure could rise to between 800 and 1,000 trucks per day if infrastructure and customs facilities are improved, thereby playing an important role in boosting bilateral trade.
For his part, Mojtaba Shariati Far, deputy coordinator for economic affairs in Iran’s South Khorasan province, said the province and Helmand could become an important hub for trade, investment, and economic cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan by drawing on their complementary advantages. He added that both regions enjoy considerable potential, which—if harnessed jointly—could lead to a strong boost in trade relations.
اشترك لتصلك أبرز التغطيات والقصص الحصرية من فريق الأسطل مباشرةً إلى بريدك.
