Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund Meets with the President of Mordovia

On May 15, 2025, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs, met with Artyom Alekseyevich Zdunov, the Head of the Republic of Mordovia, on the sidelines of the 16th Kazan International Economic Forum.

During the meeting, Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund stated that the 16th Kazan International Economic Forum has created a valuable opportunity to establish cooperation between the two countries in areas such as agriculture, trade, electricity, and other sectors. He emphasized that Afghanistan currently offers numerous investment opportunities across various sectors, and foreign investors are welcome to invest in them.

The Deputy PM added that Afghanistan produces high-quality goods including dried and fresh fruits, Afghan rugs, precious stones, marble, and other minerals, and is ready to begin exporting these products to the Republic of Mordovia.

Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund also expressed interest in importing, based on domestic needs, electrical equipment, construction materials, industrial machinery, petroleum products, natural gas, raw aluminum, railway wagons, and transportation-related tools and equipment from Mordovia.

Furthermore, he invited Mordovian investors to invest in Afghanistan’s industry, mining, and agriculture sectors and assured them of full cooperation and support.

Following this, Artyom Alekseyevich Zdunov, the Head of Mordovia, also spoke. He stated that this meeting is a good opportunity to initiate and expand economic and trade relations between the two countries and that Mordovian investors are ready to engage in the Afghan market. He added that his country has made significant progress in medicine, agriculture, energy, and pharmaceutical production and is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in these areas. Mr. Zdunov also mentioned that Mordovia currently exports agricultural products to many countries and intends to begin exports to Afghanistan via the Mordovia–Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan route.

Mordovian investors also expressed their interest in investing in Afghanistan, and the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs assured them of full cooperation and support from the Islamic Emirate.

During the meeting, Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, stated that Afghanistan is ready to begin large-scale trade with Mordovia in the fields of food products, agricultural goods, and industrial outputs. He added that major Afghan companies will be introduced to the Mordovian side for joint cooperation in these areas.