Inauguration of Iranian Business Center in Kabul

PERSIA HOUSE

http://www.persia-house.com/node/1117

Iran's development of a business center in Kabul is part of Tehran's long-term strategy to increase its economic and political influence in Afghanistan. The business center also provides the government with the cover to send diplomats and intelligence officials for purposes of more directly monitoring US and other countries' economic, political and diplomatic activities in Kabul.

Iran Seeking to Expand its Economic and Political Foothold in Capital

Asr-e Iran – Summary translation by Persia House
March 9, 2010

Reza Tofighi, Director of marketing and business relations for the Iran Trade Development Organization (ITDO), said that the private sector this week inaugurated an Iranian Business Center in Kabul in the presence of high-ranking Iranian officials. According to Tofighi, "This business center is a 2,000 square meter facility with everything needed to run it…Since November 2009, ITDO has been recruiting Iranian companies [to set up shop in Kabul]. 100 Iranian companies can operate from this business center. Recently, ITDO began expanding assistance to Iranian business’ exports to Afghanistan.

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Persia House Analysis:

Iran's development of a business center in Kabul is part of Tehran's long-term strategy to increase its economic and political influence in Afghanistan. The business center also provides the government with the cover to send diplomats and intelligence officials for purposes of more directly monitoring US and other countries' economic, political and diplomatic activities in Kabul.

In Herat, Iran is the dominant player in rebuilding the city. Herat traditionally has been a hub for Iranian political, cultural, and economic activities as a result of its location near Iran’s border and due to the high concentration of Shi’as in the city. The Farsiwan (Persian speakers of Tajik descent) of Herat and the Hazara of Hazararajat in central Afghanistan make up the approximately 20 percent of the Afghan population that is Shi’a.

Afghanistan ranks as the seventh largest importer of Iranian commercial goods after Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, China, India, South Korea, and Japan. According to an Iranian customs report, Iran-Afghanistan trade reached $548 million in 2008-2009, a 25 percent increase compared to 2007. During the 2008-2009 period, Iranian companies exported 493,000 tons of goods—mostly food, construction materials, health care related items, and industrial materials—to Afghanistan.

Source Information:
Asr-e Iran is a Reformist news site based in Iran.