On Wednesday, Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi called for the expansion of economic relations between Iran and Afghanistan.

During a meeting in South Khorasan province, Raisi said that barriers preventing trade with Afghanistan must be removed.

According to Iranian media outlets, he called the exchange of goods between Iran and Afghanistan an opportunity for both countries and said that "the shared border is an opportunity for both sides”.

The Iranian president pointed to the activation of border markets and ordered the governor of South Khorasan and Iranian officials to not miss the opportunity.

At the same time, Raisi stressed that the Iranian government should facilitate the country's private sector to work in the mining field.

Iran, like other countries, officially does not recognise the Taliban. Nevertheless, it has hosted Taliban diplomats within the Afghan embassy in Tehran and maintains economic relations with the group.

In July, Iran’s Customs agency announced that since the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, the total value of trade between the two countries has reached $1.6 billion.