The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced that it will provide facilities for traders to deliver the country’s agricultural products and fresh fruits to Russia.
Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, (MOIC) told TOLOnews that Nuruddin Azizi, in a meeting with the acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and some Afghan and Uzbekistan traders, emphasized the importance of standard packaging and processing of agricultural products, especially fresh fruits.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said: “In this meeting, discussions were held regarding the standard packaging and processing of Afghanistan’s agricultural products, particularly fruits, and their transportation and marketing in the markets of the Russian Federation.”
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment has deemed Russian markets significant for selling Afghanistan’s agricultural products but cited transportation issues as fundamental challenges in exporting the country’s agricultural products and fresh fruits to Russia.
Khanjan Alokozay, a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, told TOLOnews: “We believe that our fruits are mainly sold and marketed in warm regions like India, Pakistan, South Asia, and only in China and Moscow in Central Asia. Our fruits and vegetables have special significance there.”
On the other hand, some economic experts have considered the development of trade between Afghanistan and Russia beneficial for the country’s economy.
Abdul Zahoor Madbar, an economic expert said: “There is a high demand for our agricultural products. If we mechanize our agriculture, Russia could become one of the best foreign buyers and consumers of Afghan goods and agricultural products.”
With the return to power of the Islamic Emirate, interactions between Afghanistan and Russia have seen progress, and both countries have emphasized expanding trade and strengthening economic relations.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in the first six months of the current year, trade between Afghanistan and Russia amounted to 174 million USD, of which Afghanistan imported 171 million USD worth of goods from Russia.