Afghanistan’s Minister of Economy, Haji Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, has praised Japan for its humanitarian and development assistance over the past two years, calling relations between Kabul and Tokyo “historic”.
Hanif made the remarks during a farewell meeting on Wednesday with Japanese Ambassador Takayoshi Kuramaya in Kabul. The minister stressed that both sides should expand cooperation in economic and humanitarian fields.
“We value Japan’s contributions to Afghanistan, especially in humanitarian aid and development programmes,” Hanif said, according to the Ministry of Economy. “These relations are historic, and we look forward to strengthening them further.”
Ambassador Kuramaya, whose diplomatic mission in Afghanistan is ending, highlighted what he described as the achievements of the Afghan government in improving security, fighting narcotics, curbing smuggling, and reducing administrative corruption.
“Japan will continue supporting the Afghan people through development and humanitarian assistance,” Kuramaya said, adding that urgent relief for earthquake victims in eastern provinces will soon be delivered via the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and handed to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
That assistance, including tents, blankets, and other emergency supplies, comes as thousands of families in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces remain displaced. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that more than 23 million Afghans face acute food insecurity, while recent earthquakes have worsened humanitarian needs.
Shafi Azam, a senior official from the Afghan foreign ministry told AnewZ that Japan’s continued engagement is significant. “Afghanistan needs not just aid but sustained investment in infrastructure and livelihoods, and Japan has been a consistent partner,” he said.
The Ministry of Economy concluded the meeting by thanking Japan for its pledge of further assistance.
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Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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