Afghan leaders seek deeper economic and political engagement with Azerbaijan during the 17th ECO Summit in Baku, as both nations discuss trade, infrastructure, and diplomatic ties.
Senior Afghan and Azerbaijani officials have held a series of high-level meetings aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation across political, economic, and infrastructural sectors, as Afghanistan participated in the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit in Baku.
Leading the Afghan delegation, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov to explore new avenues for collaboration. The discussions focused on enhancing trade, transit, and investment opportunities between Kabul and Baku, while also fostering stronger political and economic ties.
In a statement released by Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, Baradar emphasized Afghanistan’s interest in learning from Azerbaijan’s development experience, specifically in agricultural mechanization, water resource management, vocational training, mine clearance, and simplifying public service delivery. He also urged increased Azerbaijani involvement in supporting Afghanistan’s economic revival.
Prime Minister Asadov responded positively, expressing Azerbaijan’s willingness to share its expertise and invest in Afghanistan. Key sectors highlighted included renewable energy, mineral exploration, railway development, and agriculture. Asadov also noted the progress of a trilateral working group comprising Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. The group held its inaugural meeting in Kabul and is scheduled to reconvene in Uzbekistan.
In a separate bilateral engagement, Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Naeem met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Al-Nur Muhammadov. Both sides reiterated the importance of strengthening diplomatic and economic partnerships. Dr. Naeem stressed the need for a broader, interest-based relationship between the two countries, while Muhammadov affirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to enhancing ties with Afghanistan, calling the partnership strategically significant.
These meetings mark a step forward in regional engagement for Afghanistan, as it seeks to diversify international relationships and attract foreign investment amid ongoing economic challenges.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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