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Herat Governor Urges UN to Prioritize Afghan Products and Help Find Foreign Markets Noor Ahmad Islamjar, governor of Herat Province in Afghanistan, has urged United Nations officials to prioritize Afghan-made products when purchasing food and non-food items. During a meeting with Indrika Ratwatte, deputy special representative of the UN secretary-general, and Arafat Jamal, head of the UNHCR office in Afghanistan, Islamjar also called on the UN to help find international markets for Afghan products. According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Afghanistan, the Herat governor further asked the UN to assist in addressing banking restrictions, visa issuance, and improving online services for the country’s private sector. UN officials traveled to Herat to assess the implementation of aid projects and review assistance efforts for a new wave of Afghan returnees from Iran. Islamjar said a large number of Afghans have recently returned to Herat, stressing that the province requires serious attention and additional support.

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China to Build 9 Border Facilities Along Tajikistan–Afghanistan Border Kazinform has reported that China plans to construct nine border infrastructure facilities along the frontier between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. According to the report, the Tajik parliament approved the agreement on Thursday, paving the way for the project aimed at strengthening Tajikistan’s border security infrastructure. The new project is designed to enhance the technical and operational capabilities of Tajik border forces and will include the construction of buildings equipped with modern surveillance systems, communication networks, and other supporting infrastructure. The total construction area is expected to cover around 17,000 square meters, with an estimated cost of more than 424.8 million Chinese yuan. Muradali Rajabzoda, First Deputy Chairman of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, said the funding for the project will be provided free of charge by the Chinese government. He also noted that under a previous agreement with Beijing, 12 similar border facilities were built between 2017 and 2018. The initiative highlights expanding security cooperation between China and Tajikistan and is expected to improve Tajikistan’s capacity to monitor and control its border, particularly along the frontier with Afghanistan.

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TKD ECONOMY: Belarus Says $200 Million Trade Access to Afghan Market Secured Through Uzbekistan Maxim Ryzhenkov, foreign minister of Belarus, says his country has gained access to the market of Afghanistan through Uzbekistan, with trade valued at around $200 million. Ryzhenkov noted that Uzbekistan has become one of the key trade routes for Afghanistan, particularly amid stalled trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the current situation in Iran. He added that Belarus is working with its Uzbek partners to implement joint projects and further expand access to the Afghan market.