Kazakhstan Sends Over 2,000 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan Ahead of High-Level Visit

Ahead of Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin’s upcoming visit to Kabul, Kazakhstan has delivered 2,200 tons of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Orda.kz reports.

The aid shipment, comprising 36 railway cars, arrived at Hairatan Station. It includes wheat flour, rice, vegetable oil, tents, blankets, and other essential supplies.

A separate shipment of medicines is expected to be delivered by air soon.

The assistance was organized on the instructions of the President of Kazakhstan and with the assistance of the international development agency KazAID,
the press service of the Kazakh government stated. 

Kazakhstan’s Chargé d'Affaires in Afghanistan, Gaziz Akbasov, noted that Astana remains committed to supporting the Afghan people and enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as the economy, logistics, agriculture, and extractive industries.

From April 21 to 23, a Kazakh delegation led by Zhumangarin, who also serves as Minister of National Economy, will visit Kabul for meetings with Afghan officials and to participate in an exhibition of Kazakh-made goods.

Interest in Afghanistan has been growing in Kazakhstan.

Last October, Almaty hosted two major bilateral events —an exhibition of Afghan products and a joint business forum — where participants discussed regional trade routes and investment opportunities.

We intend to restore Afghanistan's role as an important transit state,
Afghan Minister of Industry and Trade Nuruddin Azizi said during the forum. 

He highlighted Afghanistan’s potential as a north-south Eurasian trade corridor.

Zhumangarin, for his part, suggested utilizing Kazakhstan’s Khorgos Gateway dry port on the Chinese border and referenced a pilot shipment of goods from Kazakhstan to Pakistani ports via Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s mineral wealth has also attracted significant interest from Kazakhstan, particularly in lithium, copper, zinc, and gold. Kazakhstan has expressed its readiness to send its major exploration firms, including ERG Exploration, Kazakhmys Barlau, and Kazatomprom, to explore potential partnerships.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov