Azernews.Az

By Trend

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that development of Iran’s southern port city of Chabahar could help Afghanistan’s economy.

“We are seriously disturbed that the cultivation of opium has been almost doubled in Afghanistan during the last year,” Zarif said at the 7th Ministerial Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA) in Baku.

“To reduce the role of the informal economy ruled by drugs and criminal gangs in Afghanistan, we need to help formal Afghan economy grow,” he said.

Speaking about the significant role of Afghanistan’s access to transit routes and free waters in order to facilitate exports and imports of goods, he called for investment in Iran’s southern port city of Chabahar in order to facilitate exports to this country.

He further added that the first phase of Chabahar port will become operational next Sunday.

“We invite other partners from the region and beyond to invest in the development of Chabahar and its related projects," he said.

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