Iran & Pakistan Expel 2,000 Afghan Refugees In Single Day

He added that an additional 20,000 tons of crude oil will be put up for bidding on Sunday.

In a post on the X social media platform, this Taliban official claimed that this is the first time 150,000 tons of crude oil have been sold in Afghanistan within two weeks. Previously, the Taliban's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum had stated that Afghanistan, with a daily requirement of 50,000 barrels of oil, currently imports almost all of its needed fuel from neighbouring countries such as Iran and Uzbekistan.

However, in December of last year, Bloomberg reported that China’s Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co. had tripled its crude oil production in Afghanistan. According to the Taliban, the drilling of new wells will generate approximately USD 500 million in annual revenue for the group's government.

Under the terms of the contract, the Chinese company will invest $150 million in the first year and $540 million over the next three years to explore five oil and gas blocks covering an area of 4,500 square kilometres in northern Afghanistan.

Chinese and Pakistani leaders met on Friday, 7 June, in Beijing. Chinese president Xi Jinping assured Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif that China, as always, firmly supports Pakistan and its national sovereignty. The joint statement, released on Sunday, indicates that China and Pakistan have agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on the issue of Afghanistan.

Another part of the statement calls on the Taliban to fight terrorism resolutely and prevent Afghan soil from being used for terrorist activities. Both sides also called for coordinated international efforts to address the challenges in Afghanistan.

The emphasis on combating terrorism comes after Chinese citizens were recently targeted and killed in Pakistan. Recently, Asiaweek reported that following Islamabad's failure to prevent attacks on Chinese interests in Pakistan, Chinese diplomats have stepped in. The Chinese media outlet wrote that Beijing has conditioned its investments in Afghanistan on the prevention of attacks on its interests in Pakistan.

He asserted that, like other countries, particularly those in the region, Afghanistan under Taliban control has its own issues and is actively seeking solutions.

Jalali mentioned that the Taliban makes decisions independently based on its foreign policy priorities. Notably, the Taliban did not participate in the contact group meeting in Tehran. During this meeting, the Iranian representative urged the Taliban to form a government inclusive of various social groups due to the ongoing severe crisis.

On Saturday, Jalali wrote on his X social media platform, "Today, Afghanistan is an actor that, like any other country, makes independent decisions based on its own assessments, calculations, and foreign policy priorities."

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, commented on the absence of Taliban representatives at the Tehran meeting, saying, "They made their own decision." Qomi emphasised that the recommendation to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan does not imply interference in the country's affairs.

Qomi said, "We must bear in mind that the events that occur leave their impacts on the region."

He stated that the Tehran meeting would also discuss holding the third meeting of the Regional Contact Group for Afghanistan.

The second meeting of the Contact Group for Afghanistan began on Saturday morning in Tehran. Representatives from Russia, China, and Pakistan are attending this meeting.

Ali Bagheri Kani, the Acting Foreign Minister of Iran, also stated that "occupiers" should contribute to addressing Afghanistan's economic backwardness without political interference.

Bagheri Kani urged the United Nations to pay more attention to the "humanitarian situation" in Afghanistan.

Rasoul Mousavi, General Director of the Iranian Foreign Ministry's West Asia Department, read Bagheri Kani's message at the start of the Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan.

In his message, it has been stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports constructive initiatives to ensure stability, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity in Afghanistan.

The Acting Foreign Minister of Iran says that, in this regard, the country has taken steps over the past three years to help the people of Afghanistan endure the hardships resulting from the "foreign occupation period" and the subsequent instability.

Zakir Jalali, an official from the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claimed that the group was invited to the meeting in Tehran regarding Afghanistan, but they will not attend it.

He mentioned that the Taliban expects meetings about Afghanistan to be held "through usual and established mechanisms”.

This meeting is scheduled to take place today in Tehran, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Jalali noted that representatives from Russia, Iran, and China have referred to this meeting by different names.

He explained, Iran calls this meeting the "Regional Contact Group," Russia refers to it as the "Moscow Format Contact Group Meeting," and China, which had opposed the "International Contact Group" for Afghanistan in the UN Security Council, considers the Tehran meeting as an opportunity for consultation.

Pankin said that they will only interact at a roundtable where the Taliban's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs will also be present.

Abdul Manan Omari, the Taliban's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, has traveled to Russia heading a delegation to attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

In response to the question of whether there will be a bilateral meeting between Russia and the Taliban, Alexander Pankin said, "No, we will interact at a roundtable with the Minister of Labor heading the delegation."

During his visit to St. Petersburg, Abdul Manan Omari said that the group is ready to discuss expanding security relations with Russia.

He added that the Taliban is waiting for its name to be removed from Russia's list of terrorist organisations.

Russia had previously announced that it is considering removing the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations.

In an interview with TASS news agency, Pankin suggested that the Taliban movement should simply be called Afghanistan. According to him, it is a reality that the Taliban control Afghanistan.