Afghanistan to import 350,000 tons of fuel from Iran

Kabul, July 24 Afghanistan will import up to 350,000 tons of fuel from its neighbor Iran under an agreement signed by both countries on Saturday, the Ministry of Finance said Sunday.
An Afghan delegation that visited Iran signed a contract with an Iranian firm on Saturday to purchase 350,000 tons of oil from the neighboring country, the ministry said in a statement.
The delegation consisted of high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Bank, the Afghanistan Oil and Gas Corporation, and the Afghanistan National Standard Authority, according to the ministry.
During its stay in Iran, the Afghan delegation discussed issues including oil purchases, rates and the transit of petroleum products to Afghanistan where the prices of petrol and gasoline have remarkably increased recently.
Besides the oil contract, both sides agreed to establish a joint committee to facilitate trade and transit of petroleum products, establish a gas pipeline for energy import and refineries in Afghanistan, which is now facing harsh fuel scarcity, the ministry added.
Food and oil prices have been soaring up in the war-torn and economically impoverished country over the past eight months.