KABUL (Ariana News): Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has met with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, during his official visit to the country.
According to the ministry’s statement, the meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, where both sides emphasized strengthening political and economic relations. President Tokayev highlighted that Kazakhstan aims to increase bilateral trade with Afghanistan to over $3 billion. He also noted that Kazakhstan was among the first countries to keep its embassy open in Kabul following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power and has maintained diplomatic relations since then.
President Tokayev added that the establishment of a UN office in Kazakhstan to support Central Asian countries, particularly to address the challenges in Afghanistan, was one of his country’s initiatives.
Meanwhile, Minister Azizi expressed his gratitude for Kazakhstan’s diplomatic support and efforts to remove the name of the Islamic Emirate from the list of terrorist organizations. He welcomed Kazakhstan’s interest to invest $500 million in the Torghundi railway project and its humanitarian assistance, calling the investment crucial for job creation and economic development in Afghanistan.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress in bilateral cooperation and agreed on a future visit by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to Afghanistan to further enhance political ties.
