An international affairs analyst said Mashad-Herat Railway finalization will help Afghanistan free itself from land fence next year.

Afghanistan was never a colony and only needed to be identified in terms of foreign relations, said Ja'far Haqpanah on Tuesday evening at a specialized meeting on "Centennial Relations between Iran and Afghanistan in the Light of Regional Developments" at Tehran University's School of Political Science.
In King Amanullah's government, the relations between the two countries were improved. In 1920, "we witness an exchange of ambassadors between the two countries". Afghanistan's first cooperation treaties with its neighbors were also signed with Iran.
He went on to say that at that time regional and international powers had no role in the relations between the two countries and "we are witnessing the development of relations between Tehran and Kabul". The first ambassador from regional countries was from Iran, but international competitions had an impact on the two countries' relations.
Haqpanah added that some of the common security challenges could be the basis for cooperation. "We have environmental, security, and terrorist discussions that are the same threat to both countries. We now have the chance that the regional element facilitates regional relations," he added.
The foreign policy analyst pointed to the role of the Chabahar port in the development of Iran-Afghanistan relations and noted that despite the US pressure and sanctions, the only exemption from the sanctions on Chabahar was promising. He expressed hope that the Mashad-Herat Railway will be finalized next year by connecting it to the north and Uzbekistan to help liberate Afghanistan from the land fence.