Kyrgyz representative Daniyar Zholchiev met with Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Trade Noruddin Azizi in Kabul, to discuss collaboration on new economic projects. (http://bakhtarnews.af/)
A proposal was welcomed by both parties for the expansion of trade relations and the launch of a Kyrgyz trade house in Afghanistan.
Azizi suggested that Bishkek could help Kabul with investments in electricity generation and mining. Construction of high-voltage power lines under the CASA-1000 project is currently underway in Afghanistan to enable the transmission of electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Pakistan through the territory of Afghanistan. The latter has huge reserves of minerals, including rare-earth elements (REEs) but despite a long-held interest from global manufacturing giants in China and India, an agreement has yet to be settled with the Taliban.
Back in January 2024, Kyrgyz businessmen accompanied Daniyar Amangeldiev, Kyrgyz Minister of Economy and Commerce to Afghanistan to discuss new business opportunities. The outcome, described by the Kyrgyz ministry as the beginning of business relations between Bishkek and Kabul, was interest from Afghan authorities in importing electric lamps, medicines, sugar, beans, fabrics and other products from Kyrgyzstan.
Allegiance between the two countries was also testified late last year when Kyrgyzstan delivered humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in the form of 111 tons of food, warm clothing and personal hygiene products. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov had earlier called on the international community to continue providing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, despite the fact that many countries do not recognize the current Taliban government. Kyrgyz authorities have also frequently reiterated at international forums, including the UN, the need to ease the international isolation suffered by Afghanistan which both worsens the situation faced by a country ravaged by fighting and impacts Central Asia as a whole.
