At the opening of the Kazan economic forum, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs stated that following the Islamic Emirate’s rise to power in Afghanistan, political stability has been established and economic activities are steadily increasing.
During the forum, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar emphasized Russia’s engineering expertise and its previous support in constructing the first Salang Tunnel during the Soviet era. He called on Moscow to cooperate in the construction of a second Salang Tunnel.
Economic analyst Qutbuddin Yaqubi said: “With the construction of the second Salang Tunnel, which truly represents a link between South Asia and Central Asia, this project can play a highly vital and strategic role for Afghanistan and the broader region under current circumstances.”
The forum also featured discussions on Afghanistan’s investment opportunities, increasing Afghan exports to Russia, the Trans-Afghans project, and the North-South Economic Corridor.
Russia’s deputy prime minister reaffirmed his country’s support for a stable and developing Afghanistan and expressed readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan across various sectors.
Economic expert Abdul Shakoor Hadda Wal stated: “These strong ties will not only contribute to the growth of Afghanistan’s economy, but will also boost the economies of other regional countries through enhanced relations and diplomatic engagement.”
Russia’s deputy prime minister further revealed that Moscow has removed the name of the Islamic Emirate from the list of banned groups in an effort to strengthen bilateral political and economic relations with Afghanistan.
Khan Jan Alokozai, a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “There is a pressing need to expand relations with Central Asian countries and with the Russian Federation itself. It is a massive consumer market. Our products are in demand there, and beyond that, there is great potential in Afghanistan’s agriculture and mining sectors that must be discussed with them.”
On the sidelines of the forum, Mullah Baradar and his delegation also met with the President of Mordovia. They held talks on economic, trade, export-import cooperation, and investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
The President of Mordovia stated that investors from his region are ready to invest in Afghanistan.
According to a post by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, five agreements were signed between Afghanistan and the Russian Federation in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, and Alexey Overchuk, deputy prime minister of Russia for economic affairs.