KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iran has issued licenses to 165 Afghan companies to invest and operate in the free trade zone of Chabahar port, Afghan media reported here on Sunday.

"Among the 500 companies licensed to operate in the free trade zone of Chabahar Port, 165 of them are Afghan firms," Tolo television channel said in its news bulletin.

"We also would continue our efforts to start the Kabul-Chabahar-Dubai flights in order to ease access for Afghan investors to global markets," the media outlet quoted the Iranian Embassy here as saying.

Iran, India and Afghanistan inked an agreement in May 2016 under which Afghan traders are allowed to invest and utilize the Chabahar Port for their economic activities.