Kabul, Tehran stress expanding standards cooperation — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Director of the Afghanistan Standards and Quality Authority (ASQA) Mullah Abdullah Haji Bashir and Iranian ambassador in Kabul have emphasised the need to strengthen technical cooperation, make better use of existing capacities and continue constructive engagement to further enhance bilateral trade relations. In a statement, the authority said Bashir met Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan Alireza Bikdeli to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation and expanding technical and economic engagement. Bashir said standardising exports and imports was one of the authority’s core responsibilities, adding that compliance with standards by traders in both countries would not only improve the quality of goods but also help protect public health, consumers’ rights and the public interest. Bikdeli said Iran was fully prepared to cooperate with the Afghanistan National Standards Authority in the fields of standardisation and the transfer of technical expertise. According to the statement, the ambassador also invited Bashir to pay an official visit to Iran to tour the country’s National Standards Organisation and related institutions. At the end of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continuing constructive engagement, expanding specialised cooperation and making effective use of existing capacities to further strengthen trade relations.