Economic Agreements Between Islamic Republic and Taliban; Iran to Develop ‘Roads of Eight Afghan Provinces’

While most countries in the world, including the United States, have conditioned recognition and establishing relations with the Taliban on the group’s behavior and compliance with its commitments, it has been reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has reached several economic agreements with the Taliban group in various fields.

On Tuesday, October 4, the IRNA news agency reported that these agreements are in the fields of trade, oil and gas, road development and transit, and are set to be implemented gradually over the next 10 days.

However, the report did not mention the value or figures of the contracts.

According to the report, to accelerate the trade process, the Dogharoun-Islam Qala border has been designated to operate 24 hours a day. The Islamic Republic of Iran has also agreed with the Taliban that within another month, it will begin developing “roads of eight Afghan provinces and Herat customs.”

According to the report, a Taliban delegation will travel to Iran to negotiate with officials of the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Oil to “address problems.” Improving the process of transferring liquefied gas from Iran to Afghanistan is another provision of these agreements. IRNA writes that for this purpose, construction of “a pipeline” from Dogharoun to Islam Qala will “soon” begin.

Creation of a border market, cooperation between the two countries in Afghan iron mines, and export of Afghan dried fruits to India through Chabahar have been mentioned as other agreements between the Islamic Republic and the Taliban group.

Following developments in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s control over the country, Ebrahim Raisi on Monday, August 16, without naming the Taliban, said: “The rule of will of the oppressed people of Afghanistan has always been a source of security and stability.”

Meetings and negotiations between members of the Taliban group and officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran had also taken place before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.

A Taliban delegation led by “Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar” traveled to Tehran on February 26 for meetings with officials of the Islamic Republic, which was met with mostly negative reactions from Iranian users on social networks.

Iran and Afghanistan share approximately 945 kilometers of common land border.

Joe Biden, President of the United States, warned the Taliban earlier this month that their actions, and not their words, would be the measure of the future approach of the international community toward them.

Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, while emphasizing the importance of respecting the rights of various segments of Afghan society, has made the lifting of sanctions imposed against the Taliban conditional on their future behavior.

Mr. Blinken also said in his opening remarks to the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding Afghanistan that the legitimacy and support that the Taliban seeks from the international community depends on their conduct.

Source: Voice of America