Chinese Visa Facilitation and Development of Chabahar Port on Afghanistan’s Agenda

DIDPress: Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan’s caretaker government announced that facilitating visa issuance for Afghan traders and utilizing transit routes, particularly Chabahar Port, are priorities for Afghanistan’s economic diplomacy in regional talks.

In a meeting with a group of Afghan traders, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Taliban caretaker government, said Afghanistan’s economic diplomacy is focused on areas such as visa facilitation, reopening Wagah border crossing, and utilizing Chabahar Port.

On the sidelines of the Islamic Countries Summit in Istanbul, he held discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and India regarding transit routes, visa issues, and expanding trade relations.

“We are trying to reopen this route, but it’s not simple and requires agreement and decision-making by regional countries,” he said, referring to the closure of the Wagah crossing – shut down due to political tensions between Pakistan and India.

Muttaqi also announced that obtaining business visas for Afghan traders has become easier compared to three years ago.

According to him, access to Chinese visas for Afghan businessmen has particularly become easier, and this will help expand trade relations with Asian countries.

He also emphasized the importance of Iran’s Chabahar Port for Afghanistan’s foreign trade, saing: “Chabahar represents one of the major opportunities for Afghanistan’s transit trade and the development of its exports and imports.”