Iranian Envoy Hopes Helmand River Water Will Reach Iran by September

This oil is being refined within Afghanistan by private entities, according to the ministry’s statement.

A significant contract for oil extraction in the Amu Darya basin has been awarded to a Chinese firm by the Taliban.

The ministry revealed on Wednesday that there are presently 24 active oil wells within the basin. They projected that by the end of 2024, the number of operational wells will increase to 47, elevating the daily oil output to 3,000 tonnes.

This operation is providing direct and indirect employment to approximately 1,500 individuals, as per the ministry's data.

Spanning across the northern Afghan provinces of Sar-e Pol, Jowzjan, and Faryab, the Amu Darya oil basin's extraction rights were secured by a Chinese company through a 25-year agreement finalised last year.

The basin is estimated to contain about 87 million barrels of oil reserves.

In an earlier statement, the Taliban outlined the Chinese company CPEIC’s commitment to investing $150 million in the first year, followed by an additional $540 million over the subsequent three years for exploration and extraction activities across 4,500 square kilometres in Sar-e-Pul, Faryab, and Jowzjan.

This contract has been criticised by the Taliban's adversaries, including the National Resistance Front, who deem the agreement as "illegal, irresponsible, and a violation of international norms and standards," citing the Taliban's lack of domestic and international legitimacy.

While not providing specific details, he mentioned that a collaborative meeting between this chamber and Afghan businessmen is scheduled to take place in Kabul in the coming days.

According to the report of Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), under the control of the Taliban, the governor of the group in Panjshir announced the investment of the companies that are members of the Afghan American Chambers of Commerce during the meeting of the 14th round of emerald bidding. He did not provide further details about the meeting.

On September 6, 2023, a conference titled "Afghanistan's Commercial and Economic Relations" took place in Kabul between the Taliban and members of the Afghan American Chambers of Commerce. Jeffrey Grieco, the head of the Afghan American Chamber of Commerce, made his first visit to Kabul since the Taliban took over the control of Afghanistan. During this visit, he met Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and several private sector representatives in Kabul.

His visit and the subsequent meeting with Taliban officials faced significant criticism from women's rights activists. In a statement, female activists expressed concern, interpreting the US citizen's trip as an endorsement of Taliban policies and viewed it as lobbying for the group.

In the 14th round of Panjshir emerald bidding, the Taliban sold about 6,887 carats of emerald worth USD 217,250 to Afghan traders.

The extraction and sale of Panjshir emerald by the Taliban has increased significantly in the two and a half years of their rule. Previously, the Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced in that in the last two years, it has sold more than 40,000 carats of emeralds worth more than USD 3 million in thirteen auction sessions.

The group claims that the Taliban administration has received only a 10% share of the overall sales of Panjshir emeralds. According to the Taliban administration, approximately 750 emerald mines have been officially registered in Panjshir, with 500 of them currently in operation.

According to the Taliban, Turkmenistan will increase the "capacity of the Torghundi Port railway" and start its reconstruction.

Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), controlled by the Taliban, reported that Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held a meeting with Chakiуev on Tuesday. They discussed enhancing transfers between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, boosting the capacity of the Torghundi port's railway line, and facilitating Afghan businessmen at the Turkmenbashi port.

Muttaqi visited Turkmenistan on Monday at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting with Chakiуev, Muttaqi discussed the development of the Lapis Lazuli Route. He sought the collaboration of Turkmenistan and partner countries to explore the feasibility of constructing this route.

As per the Taliban statement, the Turkmen official underscored the significance of the Lapis Lazuli Road and stressed on the need for a meeting among the five countries involved in this route.

Previously, the Taliban's Foreign Ministry had announced an agreement with Turkmenistan to convene a meeting in Ashgabat for the development of the Lapis Lazuli Route.

In 2018, the "Lapis Lazuli Route" agreement was signed among five countries, to establish a route from Afghanistan to Turkey through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

"The situation in the region is still challenging," Shoigu stated. "The most significant threat persists from Afghanistan."

Explaining the threat to Central Asia, Shoigu added, "In the past year, the number of ISIS fighters has increased by 15 percent."

The Russian Defence Minister further stated that the primary goal of ISIS is to propagate radical ideology and engage in terrorist activities along the southern borders of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Shoigu added, "A 20 percent increase in narcotics production and trafficking through the Central Asian republics is expected." At the same time, he emphasised, they are implementing preventive measures.

According to him, addressing the crisis situation in the countries of the region and participating in seven exercises in the territory of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are among the military plans of Russia and its allies in the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

In a meeting with his counterparts from Central Asia in Bishkek, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, warned that 20 terrorist organisations, with more than 23,000 fighters, are present in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.

The head of the Iranian ministry's prisoner transfer committee stated that these individuals were transferred to Afghanistan to serve out the remainder of their sentences.

Iranian Students’ News Agency, ISNA, reported on Tuesday, that Askar Jalalian, Iran’s deputy justice minister for human rights, raised this issue in a meeting with the Taliban ambassador in Tehran.

As per the report, Jalalian said, “Agreements regarding the transfer of prisoners, the extradition of criminals, and judicial assistance in civil and criminal matters have been finalised between the two countries. This stands as a clear example of the diligence and efforts to enhance legal and judicial relations between Iran and Afghanistan."

This Iranian official added that since 2013, 3,150 Afghan prisoners have been handed over to the Afghan authorities.

ISNA reported that Fazl Mohammad Haqqani, the Taliban ambassador in Tehran, appreciated the cooperation of the Iranian government for the implementation of the agreement on the transfer of prisoners to the country.

Earlier this year, Taliban officials announced that they had received 401 Afghan prisoners from Iran on multiple occasions.

In May 2023, the Taliban stated that 200 of the prisoners they received from Iran had been sentenced to death. Subsequently, in June 2023, the Iranian government transferred 180 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban in Herat, followed by another 101 prisoners separately.

During a visit to Kabul last month, the Iranian deputy justice minister, Jalalian, reportedly reached an agreement with the Taliban regarding the transfer of eligible prisoners to Afghanistan.

As per the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Jalalian emphasised that the prisoners' consent is a prerequisite for their transfer to their home country.