The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has stated that Kazakh officials are committed to facilitating Afghan exports to Kazakhstan through the railway.
Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said that during a meeting between the acting Minister of Industry and Commerce and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, along with other officials from the country, there was an emphasis on enhancing trade between Kabul and Astana, purchasing grain at reasonable prices, and strengthening Afghan exports to Kazakhstan via the railway.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said, “The Kazakh side committed to a fifty percent discount on Afghan exports via the railway. The Afghan delegation, during this visit, also toured the Bino grain terminal, which has a storage capacity of over 100,000 tons. It is planned that, upon agreement, the purchased grain will be stored in this terminal and transferred to Afghanistan as needed.”
On the sidelines of the North-South Trade Corridor meeting, Nooruddin Azizi met with several Kazakh officials.
Meanwhile, the head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines stated that meetings and agreements between Afghanistan and neighboring and regional countries for the growth and development of trade are impactful.
Shirbaz Kaminzada, the head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines, told TOLOnews, “We welcome the visits and meetings of Islamic Emirate officials with neighboring countries and hope that we can connect to the global railway network, which is significant for us in terms of lowering prices and having our raw materials reach international markets.”
Some experts emphasize that strengthening Afghanistan’s economic and trade relations with neighboring and regional countries benefits all countries involved.
Abdul Zuhor Madbar, an economic expert, said, “Regional connectivity can benefit all countries, including Central Asian countries, South Asian countries, and even the Gulf countries.”
According to officials, in the North-South Trade Corridor meeting, Afghanistan will be connected with Belarus, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.