Afghanistan Has Not Cancelled Iranian Flights
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – Head of Afghanistan-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce Mozaffar Alikhani denied reports that Afghanistan has suspended all Iranian flights to Afghanistan, adding that Iranian flights continue their operations.
Speaking to ILNA, Alikhani rejected reports that Iranian flights to Afghanistan have been cancelled due to outbreak of coronavirus.
He said after talks with Afghanistan’s commercial counsellor to Tehran, the Afghan diplomat refuted the reports, adding that Iranian flights have not been suspended. Alikhani said there is no problem for Iranian passengers and goods and currently many Iranians are in Kabul to attend specialized exhibition of Iranian goods. He admitted that Afghan officials have stepped up measures for screening Iranian passengers.
Alikhani also said that due to historic, civilization and language bonds and commonalities, there is a strong bond between both countries, adding that 35 percent of Afghanistan’s imports are from Iran.
On the banking relation between both states, he said Afghanistan government, which had earlier annulled operating license of only Iranian Bank, Arian Bank, revoked its decision and re-issued operating permit for the bank.
He went on to say that due to the strategic position of Chahbahar Port and the U.S. waiver on this port, Iran has issued permits for opening of two Afghan banks in Chahbahar ports in order to ease the trade between economic activists.
Meanwhile yesterday, Secretary of Iran’s Aviation Companies Association Maghsoud Asadi Samani said that Afghanistan has verbally demanded Iran to suspend its flights to Afghanistan because of outbreak of coronavirus. He said the country has not officially announced cancellation of flights between both states.
He added that Iraq has officially announced that it will not accept any Iranian passenger and it stopped issuing visas for Iranians.
He added that the current flights between both states is just for transporting diplomats and Iraqi nationals and they are carried out under tight medical scrutiny.
