On June 21, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin held talks in Kabul with Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. The parties discussed issues of humanitarian, trade, economic, and investment cooperation.
Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the mining and metallurgy sector. Kazakh companies are expressing interest in participating in the development of mineral deposits in Afghanistan.
“We are interested in supplying zinc ore from Afghanistan. Kazakh companies possess the necessary expertise in technological upgrading of production facilities, engineering, equipment supply, and commissioning support,” Zhumangarin emphasized.
The parties discussed the development of transport and logistics cooperation. It was noted that Kazakhstan is completing construction of the Haft-Herat railway section and is interested in further participation in infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. “We support the implementation of the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor Central Asia – South Asia, which is capable of transporting up to 10 million tons of cargo to the Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar. Furthermore, we are ready to participate in the construction of railways through Mazar-i-Sharif and Turghundi to Herat, together with our Uzbek and Turkmen partners,” Zhumangarin said.
Expanding bilateral trade was a separate topic of discussion.
The parties confirmed agreements to supply Afghan agricultural products to Kazakhstan’s largest retail chains, Small and Magnum. This primarily concerns pomegranates, grapes, apricots, plums, watermelons, melons, early vegetables, nuts, and other fruits and vegetables.
On June 20, Zhumangarin and Afghan Minister of Industry and Trade Nuriddin Azizi opened the annual Kazakhstan-Afghanistan business forum in Kabul.
More than 50 Kazakhstani companies representing the agro-industrial complex, technology, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, and IT sectors are participating in the forum.
Bilateral trade in 2025 amounted to $541.8 million. The goal is to increase trade turnover to $3 billion within a short period of time.
“Kazakhstan is interested not only in exports but also in joint ventures in Afghanistan, particularly in sectors such as food processing, agricultural processing, and textiles,” noted Zhumangarin.
Photo: gov.kz
