Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, has met with Nikita Kornienko, Minister of International and Interregional Cooperation of Russia’s Chelyabinsk Region, and his accompanying delegation to discuss strengthening economic and trade relations.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the meeting focused on expanding economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia, improving coordination between traders, increasing exports of Afghan products to Chelyabinsk, and importing Russian machinery and modern technology to Afghanistan.
Banking transactions and mechanisms to facilitate trade between businesses were also discussed during the meeting.
Azizi emphasized the importance of increasing Afghanistan’s exports to Russia and said Afghanistan is prepared to establish a center for supplying Russian goods in the country. He also proposed establishing a dedicated market for Afghan products in Chelyabinsk to provide greater access for Afghan exporters to the Russian market.
Kornienko expressed interest in further developing trade and economic relations between Chelyabinsk and Afghanistan. He also invited representatives of the Taliban administration and Afghanistan’s private sector to visit Chelyabinsk and explore opportunities for expanding commercial cooperation.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues efforts to strengthen economic ties with regional countries and attract new trade and investment opportunities. Expanding exports and gaining access to foreign markets remain key priorities for Afghan authorities seeking to boost domestic economic activity.
The proposed cooperation could provide opportunities for Afghan traders to increase exports while enabling Afghanistan to access Russian machinery, technology and other products.