On the sidelines of the 17th International Conference “Russia and the Islamic World,” the first meeting of the Afghanistan-Russia Joint Economic and Trade Commission was held in the city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan.
The meeting was chaired by Neda Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban Minister of Higher Education, and attended by the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia as well as the Taliban Minister of Industry and Trade.
The main goal of the meeting was to expand economic, trade, and transit cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia and to attract investment.
The Taliban Minister of Higher Education said at the meeting that Afghanistan seeks balanced and positive engagement with the international community based on its foreign policy and organizes its relations on the basis of mutual respect and Islamic values. He emphasized that developing relations with Russia is part of this policy.
He added that, given its important geographical location, Afghanistan can become a hub connecting Central Asia, South Asia, and other regions economically.
According to him, Afghanistan and Russia have entered a new phase in their relations, creating opportunities for broader political, economic, and scientific cooperation.
On the other hand, Alexey Gerzov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, called the establishment of the joint commission an important step toward developing economic relations between the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that technical teams from both sides would work jointly to review various issues and advance cooperation.
Writer:Salima Hakimi
