TEHRAN – Iran and Afghanistan recently reached important agreements on various important bilateral issues, as Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Justice and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi announced on the X account on Tuesday.
These breakthroughs were achieved during a visit to Afghanistan, where he met with several senior Afghan officials, including the Minister of Border and Tribal Affairs, the Director-General of the Taliban Monitoring and Enforcement Directorate, the Deputy Minister of Water and Energy, and the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
An important agreement was reached regarding a prisoner exchange. Ghalibabadi said a list of Iranians imprisoned in Afghanistan would be provided to the Iranian embassy to facilitate their prompt return to Iran. “Mutual arrangements have been made to resume transfer of Afghan prisoners held in Iran to Afghanistan to complete their sentences, subject to existing agreements and mutual action on the Afghan side,” the diplomat explained.
Additionally, it was decided that Afghan authorities would be responsible for arresting and prosecuting Afghan criminals.
Border issues also featured prominently in the discussion. The two countries agreed to strengthen border controls to combat drug and human trafficking and terrorist infiltration. An important step forward was the decision to restart the border demarcation project, which had been suspended for seven years. Additionally, joint meetings of the Technical and Legal Committees will be held simultaneously to quickly address existing ambiguous issues along the border.
Progress was also made in water rights, a long-standing issue. Mr. Ghalibabadi stressed the need to fully implement the 1973 Hilmand Treaty, ensure Iran receives its full water quota, and secure environmental water rights to the important Hamoun wetland. Establishing a legal regime for Harirud (Kari River) was also a key point of discussion. In furtherance of these goals, both sides agreed to hold a meeting of their respective water commissions in Iran as soon as possible, with a focus on cooperative solutions within the framework of existing commitments.
The agreement is seen as a renewed commitment to cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan across key areas, aiming to resolve long-standing issues and improve bilateral relations.
Iran has maintained relations with the Taliban since they took over Afghanistan in 2021, but has not formally recognized the war-torn country’s new government. Diplomats and analysts from various political groups believe that Iran needs to strive to foster reasonable and frictionless relations with the Taliban.