Muttaqi calls for turning Russia-Afghanistan political ties into economic partnership — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister has discussed expanding economic, trade, transit and energy cooperation with Russia, saying the existing political understanding between the two countries should be translated into a practical economic partnership. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk in Moscow. The two sides discussed political relations between Afghanistan and Russia and ways to expand cooperation in the economic, trade, transit and energy sectors, the statement said. Muttaqi welcomed the positive trajectory of bilateral political relations and thanked the Russian leadership for its positive policy towards Afghanistan. He said the existing political understanding should be transformed into practical economic cooperation. He called for increased trade, transit and regional connectivity, greater Russian investment in Afghanistan, cooperation in the energy and mining sectors, and improved banking and payment facilities. Overchuk expressed Russia’s readiness to expand economic cooperation with Afghanistan, saying conditions were now favourable for launching practical joint projects. He also stressed the expansion of cooperation in transit, transportation, energy and other sectors. Referring to the significant growth in bilateral trade last year, he expressed hope that practical economic cooperation between the two countries would further expand in the near future.