Kazakhstan and Afghanistan have agreed to boost their trade volume to $3 billion.

A business forum titled "Kazakhstan – Afghanistan" was held in Almaty, where the parties discussed the prospects for bilateral cooperation. One of the key outcomes of the event was the signing of a roadmap aimed at achieving mutual trade turnover between the countries of up to $3 billion, as reported by a correspondent from inbusiness.kz.

During the forum, it was noted that Kazakhstan is interested in increasing the export of grain and flour to Afghanistan, as well as importing Afghan fruits, vegetables, and dried fruits. The mutual trade between the countries amounted to $330.7 million in the first 8 months of 2024, with the majority attributed to the export of Kazakh goods – $316.5 million, while imports from Afghanistan totaled $14.1 million.

"There is a railway corridor between our countries through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. We are interested in transiting our export cargo through the Trans-Afghan corridor. Through the seaports of Pakistan (Karachi, Gwadar), markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean are opening up for us," emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Serik Jumangarin.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Ermek Taszhurekov, noted that the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan in 2023 reached $567.5 million, of which exports accounted for $547 million and imports for $20 million.

"Afghanistan is a vital trading partner for Kazakhstan, especially in the supply of agricultural products. The main products of our exports are flour, wheat, and flax seeds. These goods make up over 80% of the share of exports from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan. In addition to flour, we also export sunflower oil. Conversely, from Afghanistan, we import mineral and carbonated waters, accounting for 85%, as well as grapes, fresh and dried fruits," highlighted Ermek Taszhurekov.

According to Ermek Taszhurekov, approximately 2 million tons of wheat and flour in grain equivalent are exported to Afghanistan annually, with a decline observed in recent years. In 2023, wheat exports decreased by 53%, totaling 448 thousand tons compared to 2022 (685 thousand tons). In the first 8 months of 2024, wheat exports amounted to 69 thousand tons, which is five times lower than the same period in 2023 (330 thousand tons). In 2023, compared to 2022, flour exports decreased by 100 thousand tons, totaling 1,271 thousand tons (1,357 thousand tons). According to the Deputy Minister, the trade turnover of agricultural products between the countries could be increased to $1 billion.

In turn, the Minister of Trade and Industry of Afghanistan, Nuriddin Azizi, also expressed interest in expanding cooperation. He stated that Afghanistan sees great prospects for collaboration in the chemical and food industries.

On the same day, Serik Jumangarin and Nuriddin Azizi signed a roadmap to achieve a mutual trade turnover of up to $3 billion. The document outlines the expansion of cooperation in the trade and industrial sector, energy, transport, digitalization, and other areas. In particular, Kazakhstan plans to participate in the construction of railways in Afghanistan, such as "Turgundi – Herat – Kandahar – Spin Boldak" and "Mazar-i-Sharif – Kharlachi".

The forum also discussed the supply of Kazakh cars with localized service centers in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan's participation in Afghan mining projects, and the possibility of building schools and other social facilities.

It is worth noting that the dialogue platform brought together representatives from over 250 companies from Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. As a result of the forum, the signing of trade agreements worth over $50 million is expected.