KABUL: Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate Mawlavi Zabihullah Mujahid, said diplomatic, political and economic relations between Afghanistan and neighboring, regional and international countries have expanded over the past year, according to Radio Omid correspondent.
Speaking at the fifth press conference of the “Government in the Mirror of the Press”, program, held at the Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) Mujahid said Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Islamic Emirate, adding that Afghanistan had established formal diplomatic and consular relations with Kuwait and that its membership in the Moscow Format had also been accepted.
During the same period, Afghanistan’s embassies in Kuwait and Berlin, as well as its Consulate General in Bonn, Germany, became operational, according to Mujahid.
He said agreements had also been reached with various countries to facilitate trade and transit. According to the figures he cited, Afghanistan’s exports to India reached $773 million in the Islamic year 1447, while imports from India stood at $266 million.
Mujahid said the “PAT” agreement was signed to reduce trade barriers with Pakistan and strengthen transit relations, adding that Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan also agreed to assess the feasibility of the “Afghan-Trans” project.
The spokesperson further said improvements had been made in consular services. More than 1,150 Afghan prisoners had been released from Iran and transferred to Afghanistan, along with others from several countries. Passport issuance services are now operational at 28 Afghan diplomatic and consular missions abroad, while the processing time for certificates of no criminal responsibility has been reduced from around 15 days to one or two days.