Visit of Kazakhstan’s Deputy PM to Kabul: Objectives and Outcomes
By Qais Ahmad
Introduction
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, the policies of neighboring, regional, and global countries toward Afghanistan have changed. Today, these countries view Afghanistan as a key regional player capable of contributing positively to the region’s security, political, and economic stability. Consequently, more countries are now keen to expand comprehensive relations with Kabul to become joint partners in ensuring regional stability. One of these countries is Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan holds a significant position in Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, and Kazakhstan aims to expand and strengthen its political and economic relations with Kabul. Kazakhstan has publicly advocated for engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on international platforms, clearly stating that a stable and economically developing Afghanistan is in the interest of both the region and the world.
Though Kazakhstan does not share a direct border with Afghanistan, it is a nearby regional country that has taken substantial steps to expand its trade and economic relations with Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power. Kazakhstan was the first country in the region and the world to remove the Islamic Emirate from the list of groups sanctioned on its territory. The Kazakh government announced that this decision was aimed at enhancing and expanding trade, transit, and economic cooperation with Afghanistan, and that Kazakhstan wishes to become a key economic partner of the country.
To that end, high-level political and economic delegations have been exchanged between the two sides, the most recent of which was a visit to Kabul by a Kazakh delegation led by Kazakhstan’s Deputy PM, Serik Zhumangarin. During the visit, the delegation met with the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, and other officials.
The primary objective of this visit was to expand cooperation between Kabul and Astana in various economic sectors and to implement the roadmap that has been jointly developed for this purpose.
In the following sections, we briefly discover the goals and outcomes of this visit.
Objective of the Visit of Kazakhstan’s Deputy PM to Kabul
A delegation led by Kazakhstan’s Deputy PM, Serik Zhumangarin, arrived in Kabul on April 21, 2025. The delegation included officials from various Kazakh ministries and agencies, as well as businesspeople and investors from Kazakhstan. This marks several visits Deputy PM Zhumangarin has made to Kabul with the goal of strengthening bilateral relations.
His visit signifies that following the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, Afghanistan has taken significant steps toward reconstruction and economic development, thus playing a constructive role in the political, economic, and security stability of the region and neighboring countries. Recognizing this, Astana seeks to remain a strong partner with Kabul on this journey.
During his visit, Deputy PM Zhumangarin met with the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, as well as other senior officials. The main focus of these meetings was Kazakhstan’s view of Afghanistan as a strategically important country in the region and its interest in expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic domain.
In the meeting with Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund, Deputy PM Zhumangarin emphasized Kazakhstan’s support for a stable and independent Afghanistan and praised the significant progress made in various sectors. He stated that these developments have led to the expansion of trade and economic ties between the two countries. To further increase trade between the two nations, the Kazakh delegation expressed readiness to invest $500 million in the Torghundi–Herat–Spin Boldak railway project, specifically in initiating work on the Torghundi–Herat phase. They also showed willingness to establish a logistics and transportation company in Herat to support this project.
Kazakhstan underscored the importance of enhancing the activities of its Chamber of Commerce in Herat and committed to opening another Chamber of Commerce in Kabul. The Islamic Emirate assured full cooperation in this regard.
The Kazakh delegation also showed interest in importing more agricultural products from Afghanistan and expressed readiness to increase the volume of imports in this sector.
Banking cooperation was another major topic of discussion. Both sides showed readiness to open joint accounts between several Afghan private banks and Kazakhstan’s Freedom Bank and Zaman Bank to facilitate banking transactions.
In addition to the railway project, cooperation in the extension of internet connectivity and collaboration in telecommunications and information technology between Kabul and Astana was also discussed. The Islamic Emirate welcomed these initiatives.
During the meeting, Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund reiterated Afghanistan’s strong commitment to strengthening economic and trade relations with Kazakhstan and other regional countries. He mentioned that, recently, a roadmap has been signed to increase bilateral trade between Kabul and Astana to $3 billion. Implementation of this roadmap is expected to bring significant positive changes in sectors such as trade, agriculture, mining, transport, transit, railways, and industry, leading to increased investment in these areas.
Moreover, Kazakhstan’s Deputy PM also expressed interest in expanding Astana’s political relations with Kabul. He noted that Kazakhstan recently accepted two diplomats of the Islamic Emirate in Almaty, where the Islamic Emirate’s consulate is now operational.
Alongside all of these developments, the visit also included discussions on cooperation in sectors such as health, education, visa issuance for ordinary Afghan citizens and businesspeople, and the transit of Kazakh goods through Afghan territory.
Signing of Agreements Worth $140 Million
During his visit to Kabul, Kazakhstan’s Deputy PM Serik Zhumangarin, together with Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, officially inaugurated the Afghan–Kazakh Trade Exhibition.
At this exhibition, 400 Afghan and Kazakh investors and traders showcased their products and goods. The exhibition was scheduled to continue for three days.
During the opening ceremony, Minister Nooruddin Azizi stated that with the return of the Islamic Emirate, trade relations between Kabul and Astana have expanded, resulting in a 32% increase compared to previous levels. He emphasized that organizing trade exhibitions plays a crucial role in boosting trade volume and mentioned that both countries are committed to increasing bilateral trade to $3 billion.
To achieve this goal, both sides stressed the need to increase the volume of trade agreements between the two countries, establish chambers of commerce in Kabul and Almaty, hold more regional trade exhibitions, improve market access for Afghan products in Kazakhstan, and facilitate imports and exports for better connectivity between South and Central Asia via Afghanistan.
By the end of the exhibition’s first day, 20 agreements worth $140 million were signed between the private sectors of both countries. Seventeen of these were trade agreements and three were cooperation agreements. These contracts span 13 sectors including logistics, pharmaceuticals, metal products, vehicles, and flour production, and are expected to play a significant role in increasing bilateral trade.
Conclusion
Kazakhstan has substantial experience in oil and gas exploration and extraction, as well as in railway development. Afghanistan can benefit from this expertise to exploit its oil and gas reserves for economic growth. Kazakhstan’s $500 million investment to expand Afghanistan’s railway network may encourage other countries to invest in Afghanistan as well. This move by Kazakhstan clearly signals to the international community that Afghanistan is ready to play an active role in improving regional and global economic conditions.
In a similar vein, Kazakh investment in Afghanistan’s mining sector, the signing of $140 million worth of 20 agreements to increase bilateral trade and transit, the opening of chambers of commerce in Kabul and Almaty, cooperation in telecommunications, information technology, and banking transactions, and the facilitation of Kazakh visas for Afghan traders and citizens are concrete steps that further strengthen and expand economic and trade relations between Kabul and Astana.