KABUL/TEHRAN:The Chambers of Commerce of Iran and Afghanistan have signed a trade cooperation agreement, aiming to significantly enhance bilateral economic and private sector ties. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), announced by the Iranian Embassy in Kabul on Saturday, November 22, focuses on boosting trade, investment, and private sector collaboration between the two nations.
This strategic agreement comes as Afghanistan actively seeks to diversify its trade routes following a freeze in trade and transit relations with Pakistan due to rising border tensions. Last week, Taliban Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, visited Iran, where he toured the Chabahar Port and participated in an economic meeting in the Herat-Hirmand region.
The Taliban administration hopes to utilize Iran’s Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports as crucial alternatives to Pakistan’s Karachi Port, though former Afghan Finance Minister Anwarul Haq Ahadi noted that Iranian ports may be 20-30% more expensive.
Further cementing this regional realignment, a joint chamber of commerce has also been established between Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan to strengthen trilateral economic ties and provide alternative transit access.
These developments signal a definitive shift in Kabul’s commercial policy. As Afghanistan strengthens its reliance on Iranian and Central Asian corridors, the country is simultaneously working to re-engage with other partners, evidenced by the forthcoming resumption of India’s cargo flights to Afghanistan, collectively reshaping the regional trade dynamic.
