Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged continued cooperation after talks in Kabul on aid coordination, bilateral ties and job creation.
During the meeting, Dr Mohammad Naeem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration, held discussions with Fujimoto Lok, the newly appointed President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), on expanding cooperation between the two sides.
Naeem thanked the bank for its assistance and cooperation, the ministry said. It added that he stressed Afghanistan’s commitment to working with aid organisations for the benefit of its people, with a strong focus on job creation.
The ministry said the Afghan side underlined that it “is committed to supporting and cooperating with aid organisations for the benefit of its people”, and “fundamentally emphasizes the creation of job opportunities”.
Fujimoto Lok, meanwhile, briefed Afghan officials on the bank’s activities and offered assurances on future support, according to the ministry. It said he “shared information about his activities” and “expressed assurance of continued cooperation”.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on external support. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), around 21.9 million people in Afghanistan - about 45% of the population - are projected to need humanitarian assistance in 2026.
ADB’s engagement with Afghanistan has also shifted sharply since August 2021. On its Afghanistan overview page, the bank says its “regular assistance to Afghanistan has been on hold since 15 August 2021”.
At the same time, it says that since 2022 it has “supported the basic needs of the Afghan people” through “a special arrangement with the United Nations”, including food assistance and health and education services.
That makes the latest meeting notable. It suggests that while ADB’s regular assistance remains suspended, contacts with Afghan officials are continuing, and both sides are seeking to maintain cooperation in areas linked to aid, basic services and employment.
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