Kabul, Dec 27 (FN Agency) The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to set up an air corridor between the two countries for direct flights and also set up a joint chamber of commerce to boost trade. Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Trade and Industry of the Taliban government of Afghanistan, in a joint press conference with the Trade Minister of Kazakhstan Bakhyt Sultanov, announced that the two sides have agreed to set up an air corridor and open a joint commerce chamber. Azizi said Afghanistan is ready to jointly work with Kazakhstan for the improvement of trade ties. Kazakh Trade and Integration Minister Sultanov brought half a ton of medical products for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. According to Sultanov, the next aid package will arrive in Afghanistan by road. “If we refer to the trade relations, the export and import of goods between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan dropped by 27 percent,” he said.
Sultanov said that Kazakhstan was also interested in expanding trade through Afghanistan to South Asia. Azizi said that Afghanistan was ready to cooperate in the formation of an air corridor between the two countries. “The formation of an air corridor is important between the two countries. Afghanistan is ready to help in the establishment of an air corridor and with the resumption of direct flights,” he said, Tolo News said. The Acting Minister of Trade and Industry of Afghanistan said that the two countries have wide trade relations and that the relations will further be expanded. The two sides also stressed on the operation of Kazakhstan commercial banks in Afghanistan. On the sidelines of the Kazakh delegation’s visit to Kabul, an exhibition of Afghan products was held in Kabul.
The exhibition displayed dry fruits, carpets, precious stones and handmade products to draw the attention of the Kazakh investors. The Kazakh Trade Minister also visited his country’s commercial expo in Kabul. Sultanov also met with the Taliban’s acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi, and the acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Kazakh government officials have visited Kabul several times since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August. The previous Afghan government had good trade relations and agreements with the Central Asian country.