Iran, Afghanistan Discuss Co-Op in Electricity Infrastructure

Deputy Minister of Energy (Water and Electricity) for Power and Energy Affairs Homayoun Haeri has called for support of the Afghanistan economy ministry for accelerating the development of relations between the two countries in the electrify infrastructure sector. Haeri made the remarks in his Tuesday meeting with Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, Afghanistan's Minister of Economy in Kabul.
Referring to the sixth meeting of Iran-Afghanistan Joint Economic Commission held in Kabul and attended by the Iranian energy minister, the deputy minister submitted the draft of the sixth meeting's MoU and some other related documents.

The Afghan minister, for his part, appreciated the efforts made and pointed to the many commonalities between the two countries and the need to accelerate the development of relations. He expressed his support for any action for development of bilateral relations, especially in electricity sector.

Afterwards, Haeri met and held talks with Afghan FM Mohammad Hanif Atmar, where he called for the support of Afghanistan ministry of foreign affairs for cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy. "We consider Iran as our second home and Iranians regard Afghanistan as their second home, so we will welcome and support any action that accelerates the development of relations," Atmar said.

A delegation from the Iranian ministry of energy left Tehran for Afghanistan on Sunday to develop mutual relations and discuss joint ventures in electricity sector. The delegation was meant to discuss the establishment of a wind corridor at the Iran-Afghanistan joint border is of the important issues which is to be conferred during this trip. The corridor will be one of the best areas to install wind farms to convert wind energy into electricity.

It should be mentioned that Haeri’s meetings with the mentioned Afghan officials came after he inaugurated Iran’s first specialized exhibition of water and electricity industry in Kabul on Tuesday.
Over 70 Iranian companies are showcasing their latest products and achievements in the fields of energy, urban services, engineering, and telecommunications during this three-day event.
Speaking in the inaugural ceremony of the exhibit, Haeri said: “As the chair of the two countries’ joint economic committee, the energy minister has paid special attention to the expansion of relations between the two countries and has announced its readiness to further develop energy cooperation.” He thanked the Iranian companies that attended the exhibition despite the problems created by the pandemic.

Based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries in August 2019, Iran repairs damaged electric transformers and turbines of power plants in Afghanistan.
As reported, the value of annual trade between Afghanistan and Iran has reached more than US$1.5 billion, and Iran, as Afghanistan's largest trading partner, exported the most to the neighboring country last year. - Mehr, Tehran Times, Fars