Malaysian envoy visits Afghanistan

KABUL (Agencies): The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with Malaysia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, the ministry said on Tuesday. According to a statement released by the Ministry, Ahmad Azam said in the meeting that he traveled to Afghanistan with a special message from the Foreign Minister of Malaysia as he hopes relations between the two countries would expand like in the past. The diplomat added that he expects to carry a message of expansion of relations and cooperation from Kabul. Meanwhile, Muttaqi said in the meeting that the message of the foreign minister of Malaysia is very important and that he believes it will help strengthen relations between the two countries. He added that there are good trade and investment opportunities that should be used effectively. IEA foreign minister meets with Japanese envoy: The foreign minister of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi met with the Japanese ambassador to Kabul, Takashi Okada where the two diplomats discussed a number of issues including security, counter-narcotics and economic growth in Afghanistan. Okada said at the meeting: “I would like to reiterate the commitment of the Japanese government to develop and strengthen relations with the Islamic Emirate and also provide information about the second meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Afghanistan.” “We want to listen to your requests in these areas and discuss them seriously in this meeting,” Okada said. He further added: “The international community is willing to cooperate with the Islamic Emirate in the fields of climate change, water management, historical monuments, terrorism and health.” Muttaqi in turn thanked the Japanese ambassador for the information and added that “in the future, we have set goals for the development of diplomatic relations with the countries of the region and the world and for the beneficial use of economic opportunities.” He also said the Islamic Emirate has made significant achievements in the areas of security, development of political and economic relations, prevention of drug cultivation, and trafficking, in the treatment of drug addicts and health services. “Many issues have been resolved between the Islamic Emirate and the international community in the fight against drugs, the threat for other countries from the territory of Afghanistan, strengthening security and other areas, and now a good atmosphere of trust has been created for interaction,” Muttaqi said. In the end, both sides emphasized the need for development of relations and the strengthening of cooperation.