According to Iraf, Gholamhossein Mozaffari, in a joint meeting with Noor Mohammad Mutawakil, Afghanistan’s Consul General in Mashhad, referring to the existing economic capacities between Iran and Afghanistan, stated: due to shared cultural ties, a very favorable foundation exists for the development of economic cooperation between the two countries. Regional countries — particularly Afghanistan — have always been good economic partners for us, and these capacities must be strengthened further.
The Governor of Khorasan Razavi identified the development of investment as one of the most important cooperation priorities between the two countries and added: if the economies on both sides of the border are to grow, investment is a prerequisite. Iran and Afghanistan’s economies need one another, and the economic development of both countries depends on interaction and mutual cooperation.
Emphasizing the importance of the Dogharoun border crossing, he stated: our goal is for the country’s borders — particularly Dogharoun, given its geographic position and existing capacities — to be the most seamless border crossing in the country. Our strategy is for Dogharoun to become the smoothest and highest-quality border crossing in the country, with appropriate facilities and infrastructure provided for economic actors and the people on both sides of the border.
Mozaffari, referring to the necessity of developing economic infrastructure on both sides of the border, said: to change the existing conditions, a free trade zone has been established on our side of the border, and we propose that conditions be created for the establishment of a free trade zone on the other side as well, so that the possibility of joint investment in these zones is made available.
The Governor of Khorasan Razavi added: on economic matters, the joint committee formed between the two sides has performed well, and four specialized subcommittees are actively and continuously pursuing shared issues. We hope that with the improvement of economic conditions on both sides of the border, security will also be further strengthened.
We Are Keen to Manage the Presence of Nationals in the Province in a Principled and Organized Manner
He touched on the issue of organizing the presence of Afghan nationals and stated: in Khorasan Razavi Province, we are keen to manage the matter of nationals’ presence in a principled and organized manner, so that in the future we no longer witness the categorization of nationals into authorized and unauthorized.
Mozaffari continued: our strategy is for the status of every individual entering the province to be clearly defined — whether they have entered the country for tourism, medical treatment, work, or other purposes. One of the complex issues in this domain is the matter of employment. Our effort is to issue work visas for economic actors and, through cooperation between economic and security agencies, to organize this domain appropriately.
The Governor of Khorasan Razavi emphasized: it is very important to me that the dignity, honor, and standing of Afghan citizens be preserved and respected. Furthermore, informal crossings must be eliminated and all matters must be conducted within legal and transparent frameworks.
Mozaffari added: we hope to be able to present Khorasan Razavi as a model for organizing the presence of Afghan nationals, so that entry and exit, employment, income, and other related matters are managed in a transparent and defined manner, and terms such as “unauthorized migrant” no longer hold relevance.
The Governor of Khorasan Razavi, referring to security cooperation between the two countries, said: through Afghanistan’s good cooperation with the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the enemy’s plan to use certain groups that intended to enter the country from the eastern route and create insecurity did not come to fruition.
He continued: historical experience has shown that the security of the region must be ensured by the countries of the region themselves. Other countries always enter under attractive and deceptive slogans, but ultimately create more insecurity and problems — an example of which we have seen in Afghanistan; in Iran as well, attempts were made to undermine the country’s security through this method, which was thwarted by the vigilance of the people.
Mozaffari, referring to Afghanistan’s measures in combating narcotics, said: we are pleased that the Afghan government is taking effective measures in the fight against narcotics, and the positions of the two countries in this regard have drawn closer to one another. We must seize this opportunity and move toward reducing the narcotics issue to the absolute minimum — and even to zero.
