The Taliban’s Minister of Commerce said the group and Kazakhstan have agreed to increase their annual trade volume to $3 billion and accelerate implementation of the “Afghan-Trans” railway project.
According to Nooruddin Azizi, the agreement was reached during a meeting in Kabul on Tuesday, Oct. 7, with Jan-Bek Tayzhanov, Kazakhstan’s deputy transport minister; Iran Sharkhan, deputy minister of industry and construction; and Gaziz Akbasov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said the two sides discussed expanding economic cooperation, trade, the Afghan-Trans railway project, and improving transit facilities for exports.
A key point of the talks was a proposal to hold a joint Kazakh-Afghan trade and industry exhibition to strengthen business and industrial ties.
While Kazakhstan has not formally recognised the Taliban government, it maintains close diplomatic and commercial relations with the group. The Taliban have previously claimed that Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate in all areas with their administration.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking on Sept. 23 at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, underscored the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, saying inclusive development is essential for lasting regional security. He added that Kazakhstan supports the Afghan people through humanitarian assistance and cooperation in trade, food security, infrastructure, and transport.
In June 2024, Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations. Earlier that year, it also accepted a Taliban diplomat as Afghanistan’s consul general in Astana.
