Deputy economy minister of Afghanistan’s ruling government Abdul Latif Nazari has spoken of good opportunities for cooperation with Iran in the wake of improved security in his country, calling for better economic ties with Tehran.

According to The Iran Project,Nazari, a prominent Shia figure in Afghanistan, made the remark on Sunday as he addressed a group of Iranian journalists in Kabul, elaborating on the enormous economic capacities of his country.

With the security situation being improved in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule, there are now good opportunities for boosting cooperation with an influential country like Iran, he said.

That cooperation can serve the interests of both countries especially in the trade sector, added the Taliban official, who is a graduate of international relations and political science from Iran’s prestigious Tehran University.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Nazari criticized the United States for its continued enmity towards the Afghan people more than two years after it withdrew forces from Afghanistan and ended over two decades of war and military presence there.

“The US does not stop its enmity and mischief against the people of Afghanistan. Therefore, it continues to create obstacles for the country through exerting economic pressure and blocking Afghans’ assets worth almost $9 billion.”

However, he added, the Taliban caretaker government is the most independent in Afghanistan’s history, which makes decisions based on the national interest of the Afghan people, not (under the influence) of the US, the UK, and other foreign powers.

The Islamic Emirates in Afghanistan is ready to expand its economic cooperation with Iran in all fields, the Taliban official stressed.

The Taliban came to power in August 2021 following the US withdrawal. Iran has not yet recognized their government, but it cooperates with the Taliban in an effort to provide support to the Afghan people.