According to IRAF, Reza Panah made the remarks on Wednesday, December 31, during an introductory meeting with journalists attended by local Taliban officials. Referring to shared commonalities between the two sides, he said:
“One of our shared characteristics is having a common enemy. Today, Iran and Afghanistan are both under economic sanctions.”
He added that foreign countries have imposed sanctions in an effort to weaken both sides, stressing that cooperation and solidarity are necessary in such conditions.
Nationwide security in Afghanistan
In another part of his remarks, the Iranian consul general said that after several decades, nationwide security has been established in Afghanistan, and that the time has come to take serious steps toward economic growth and development.
He stated:
“We stand alongside the people of Afghanistan and the country’s ruling authorities and will cooperate in Afghanistan’s progress and economic growth. I say honestly, and on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, that the welfare of the Afghan people is the welfare of the Iranian people.”
Reza Panah also announced the continuation of Iran’s cooperation in Nangarhar, noting that Iran has built a fully equipped hospital specializing in diabetes treatment in the province and will continue its cooperation in areas such as healthcare, cold storage facilities, vocational centers, technical drilling, and other sectors.
Taliban officials call for expanded economic cooperation with Iran
At the same press conference, local Taliban officials in Nangarhar called for broader and sustainable Iranian cooperation in commercial and economic fields.
Abdul Basir Pacha, head of the Taliban’s Department of Industry and Commerce in Nangarhar, emphasized the need to further develop trade routes to provide greater facilities for the public.
Jan Mohammad Enqelabi, head of the Taliban’s Foreign Affairs office in Nangarhar, said:
“Our relations are not limited to the political level; rather, they are rooted in culture and history and are based on relations between the two nations.”
Reza Panah had previously, in October, met with the head of foreign relations in Nangarhar after being appointed as Iran’s new consul general in Jalalabad, where he emphasized the expansion of economic cooperation between Iran and eastern Afghanistan.
