South Khorasan Province to expand trade ties with Afghanistan

Birjand, South Khorasan Prov., March 15, IRNA – South Khorasan Province Governor-General Vajhollah Khedmatgozar said on Sunday that provincial officials are keen on trade ties with Afghanistan in line with the agreements already signed to that effect. He made the remarks in a meeting with Afghan Ambassador to Tehran Ahmad Nasir Nour in Birjand. Khedmatgozar said the province's priorities are attracting investment through cooperation of the private sector in various commercial, trade, industrial and mineral fields. He said that Iran and Afghanistan enjoy religious affinities and longstanding amity and cultural common grounds as well as common border serving proximity of the two nations. 'Numerous factors prepare a very suitable ground for expansion of South Khorasan Province relations with the three provinces of Farah, Herat and Neemroz of Afghanistan.' Khedmatgozar added that South Khorasan, as the third large province of Iran, enjoys suitable potentials and capacity in the areas of economy, science, technology, culture and university. The governor-general said that technical and engineering services and development potentials of South Khorasan Province of Iran can serve to help reconstruction drive in Afghanistan. He said his province is ready to admit students from Afghanistan, while being prepared to provide Afghans in Afghanistan with technical training courses. South Khorasan Province of Iran is at the time being the safest province of Iran in terms of investment and Afghanistan can use the potentials, he added. The Afghan Ambassador for his part said there are very suitable grounds available for expansion of relations and cooperation between Afghan Rafah Province and Iran's South Khorasan Province. He said that the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is in stage of reconstruction, so using potentials of South Khorasan Province is promising.