Abandoned foreign military bases in Afghanistan will be turned into business and trade centers to promote the economic growth of the country. Such a decision was made by the Taliban leadership, the Voice of America reports.

According to the newspaper, the Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, ordered to gradually take control of the remaining military bases of foreign forces and turn them into special economic zones.

The changes will primarily affect bases in Kabul and the northern Afghan province of Balkh. Among these is the Bagram base, which is located 70 kilometers north of Kabul.

According to the Voice of America, for almost 20 years, the Bagram base has served as the "think tank of U.S. counterterrorist operations against al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan and military operations against the Taliban.