Afghanistan and Kazakhstan Strengthen Economic Ties with $500 Million Railway Project and Trade Agreements

During the meeting on Friday, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov announced that his country will soon begin the Torghandi-Herat railway line project in Afghanistan, with an investment of $500 million. Bektenov also expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector and increasing imports of Afghan fruit, while facilitating Afghanistan’s exports through Kazakh territory.

Bektenov emphasized that Kazakhstan is one of Afghanistan’s top ten trading partners and is committed to expanding these relations. He also stated that Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister will soon visit Kabul to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Afghanistan’s Deputy PM Highlights Regional Cooperation
Abdul Ghani Baradar described Kazakhstan as an important and reliable regional partner for Afghanistan and welcomed the appointment of Kazakhstan’s special representative for Afghanistan. He expressed gratitude for Kazakhstan’s support for Afghanistan in international forums and highlighted Afghanistan’s role as a crucial transit route for Kazakhstan to the Middle East and South Asia.

Baradar emphasized that Kazakhstan can connect Afghanistan to Europe and urged Kazakhstan to take advantage of existing opportunities in investment, trade, railway projects, and transit affairs. He also noted the importance of the agricultural products preservation and quarantine agreement between the two countries, which aims to increase bilateral trade volume to $3 billion.

Facilitating Trade and Banking Cooperation
Baradar stressed the need to facilitate visa issuance for Afghans and the opening of Afghan bank accounts in Kazakhstan’s Zaman and Freedom Banks. He assured that Afghan banks are fully prepared for these collaborations.

Additionally, Baradar mentioned that Afghanistan has initiated the establishment of an operational company for imports and exports via railways to expand bilateral trade and will soon introduce it to Kazakhstan. He added that a draft agreement on international transport and transit between the two countries has been prepared, and serious discussions are underway regarding tariff reductions on transit goods.