Kazakhstan’s trade policy development center QazTrade and the Ministry of Trade and Integration have agreed with the Taliban to supply goods worth approximately $140 million to Afghanistan, according to a statement published on the ministry’s official website.
A joint delegation from QazTrade and the ministry recently visited Kabul on a special trade and economic mission. During the trip, the Kazakh delegation showcased product samples from Kazakhstani manufacturers to Afghan officials, including goods from the agribusiness and textile sectors. The companies involved and the details of the contracts were not disclosed.
As part of the mission, QazTrade signed three memorandums of cooperation with key Afghan economic institutions: the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines and the International Exhibition Center of Afghanistan. These partnerships are part of a broader roadmap for economic engagement signed last fall.
In June 2024, Kazakhstan officially removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the decision during a meeting with parliamentary speakers from the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). He said the move was intended to support trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan. Tokayev also stated that Kazakhstan assumes the Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021 following the U.S. withdrawal, will remain the ruling authority for the foreseeable future.
