Kazakhstan-Afghanistan Business Forum Took Place in Almaty

The Kazakhstan-Afghanistan Business Forum took place in Almaty with the participation of representatives from both countries. The event was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Serik Zhumangarin. Other attendees included Afghanistan's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Nuriddin Azizi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Yerbol Taszhurekov, Deputy Minister of Mining and Oil of Afghanistan, Sheikh Zia Ulrahman Alariobi, Deputy Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Akkenzhenov, and Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, Murat Karimsakov.

In his address, Murat Karimsakov highlighted Afghanistan's vital role in regional trade and its strategic importance as a bridge between Central and South Asia.

"Kazakhstan views Afghanistan as an important trade partner actively involved in the entire spectrum of regional business processes and serving as a critical link between Central and South Asia," emphasized the speaker.

He also expressed Kazakhstan's readiness to deepen cooperation with Afghan businesses and specifically highlighted the prospects of using transport corridors through Afghanistan to access South Asian markets and the ports of the Indian Ocean, referencing the article by President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, "Renaissance of Central Asia." According to this vision, access to South Asian markets and the ports of the Indian Ocean can be facilitated through the transport corridors being developed through Afghanistan.

"It is important to note the results achieved in bilateral cooperation. Last year, Kazakhstan opened a Trade House in Afghanistan, and in March of this year, a representative of the Chamber of International Commercewas sent to the city of Herat, a key transport hub. In September of this year, we organized a return visit by Afghan entrepreneurs to Kazakhstan, and as a result, contracts were signed for the supply of milling, grain, and legume products worth $30 million. In addition, shipments of onions and garlic were secured for re-export to the UAE and Iran, totaling nearly $400,000," said Karimsakov.

According to him, Afghan businesses play a significant role as a transit link for the supply of Kazakhstani products to the countries of the Persian Gulf.

At the end of his speech, Murat Karimsakov invited Kazakhstani entrepreneurs to participate in a business tour to Afghanistan, planned for December of this year. He also proposed considering the possibility of hosting an international business event in the city of Herat in the form of a business forum and exhibition.

The forum served as an important platform for discussing the prospects of bilateral cooperation in key sectors such as trade, agriculture, mining, and energy. Following the forum, B2B meetings were organized for Kazakhstani and Afghan businesses, aimed at signing contracts and strengthening business cooperation between the two countries.

It is worth noting that the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan for January-August 2024 amounted to $330.7 million. The main export goods included wheat flour, steel products, natural gas, dried legumes, wheat, sunflower oil, mineral fertilizers, and flax seeds.