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ALMATY — The third Kazakhstan–Afghanistan Business Forum and Afghan Goods Exhibition opened in Shymkent on Oct. 28, bringing together more than 180 Afghan entrepreneurs and representatives from both governments to expand trade, industrial cooperation, and humanitarian partnership. The event was attended by Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin and Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, who emphasized the growing potential for collaboration between the two nations. “Afghanistan is one of Kazakhstan’s key trading partners in South Asia. Our countries have vast potential for cooperation, both bilaterally and across the broader region,” said Zhumangarin at the forum’s opening ceremony. Expanding trade and investment According to Zhumangarin, bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan reached $545.2 million in 2024, with trade turnover for January-August 2025 totaling $335.9 million. Despite moderate declines in some sectors, exports of Kazakh wheat rose 2.9 times and sunflower oil 3.1 times, alongside a doubling of shipments of petroleum products and trucks. Zhumangarin underlined that Kazakhstan expects wheat exports of 9.6 million tons this year, reaffirming its readiness to expand supplies of grain, flour, rice, and sugar to Afghanistan. “These production increases are driven by the adoption of advanced agricultural technologies,” he said. Azizi highlighted Afghanistan’s interest in attracting Kazakh investment in agriculture, energy, transportation, mining, and construction. Industrial cooperation: mining and machinery The forum paid special attention to joint projects in metallurgy, automotive manufacturing, and construction materials. Kazakhstan expressed readiness to boost exports of rail locomotives and trucks to Afghanistan. Following a geological mission earlier this year, Kazakhmys began work in Afghanistan’s Laghman Province, while ERG Exploration is negotiating additional data to join mining projects. Humanitarian partnership Kazakhstan continues to provide humanitarian support to Afghanistan. A medical mission of Kazakh doctors will soon travel to assist victims of recent earthquakes. In September, Kazakhstan sent 26 railcars of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and warm clothing, as part of its ongoing humanitarian engagement. Building the CASA trade corridor During bilateral talks, Zhumangarin and Azizi discussed the development of the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (CASA) transit corridor, including a planned rail link between Herat and Turgundi. The route, connecting the Karachi port and the North–South corridor, aims to provide access to the Persian Gulf and India, forming a new trade axis between Central and South Asia. The Afghan delegation also visited the construction site of the Central Asia International Center for Industrial Cooperation (CAIC) in the Turkistan region, where seven projects have already been approved for the first residents. Delegates also toured the nearly completed Eco-Culture industrial greenhouse complex, highlighting future opportunities for agri-industrial collaboration.
