Astana [Kazakhstan], August 4 : Being the largest food supplier to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan said that the mutual trade turnover between the two countries has reached almost USD 1 billion, and is expected to reach USD 3 billion.
According to the statement released by the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, in the Kazakh-Afghan Business Forum, said, " The mutual trade turnover between our countries has reached almost USD 1 billion, and in the future, it is planned to increase the volume of trade to USD 3 billion. This year, the Trading House of Kazakhstan was opened in Herat, which will allow increasing and diversifying export-import supplies between our countries."
He also stated that Kazakhstan has an export potential of supplies worth USD 500 million in food petrochemical, and chemical.
"Afghanistan is a priority market for flour for Kazakhstan, which accounts for 70 per cent of the total volume of flour exports. Currently, we see a trend towards diversification of the export basket. According to our calculations, Kazakhstan has an export potential of supplies to Afghanistan worth USD 500 million in food, petrochemical, chemical, metallurgical, light, machine—building industries," Zhumangarin added.
Kazakhstan's business interacts with all countries of the region including Pakistan and India. To ensure the security and attractiveness of trade, the parties agree to create optimal mutual conditions, according to the statement.
"Today Turkmenistan is interested in the development of transportation on its territory and is ready to provide a discount - a preferential transit tariff on its territory. This direction can become an alternative route of shipment, primarily for flour milling products. For these purposes, a single operator promoting the export of non-primary goods, QazTrade, will ensure cheaper delivery of domestic goods to the Bolashak station. At the same time, we have strengthened agreements with Uzbekistan to provide preferential conditions for transit railway transportation through the territories of our countries so that we supply flour and grain to Afghanistan on a parity basis," Serik Zhumangarin said in his speech.
In order to expand the transit and transport system in 2021, the authorities of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to extend the trans-Afghan railway Termez–Mazar–I–Sharif – Kabul-Peshawar. The construction of this route will be beneficial not only for Tashkent, Kabul and Islamabad, but will also open trade routes for other countries of the Asian region, as well as the Middle East.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that Kazakhstan highly appreciates the initiative to build the Mazar-I–Sharif–Kabul-Peshawar trans-Afghan railway transport corridor, which will ensure uninterrupted interregional cooperation of the Central Asian states with the countries of South Asia and the Middle East. This route will give a new impetus to the dynamics of trade and economic relations.
According to the Kazakh side, there are good prospects for cooperation with Afghanistan in the energy sector. In particular, the implementation of projects for the extraction and transportation of oil and gas will allow countries to strengthen their economies.
Within the framework of the Kazakh-Afghan business forum, B2B negotiations were held, in which 250 representatives of the business circles of the two countries took part.
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