KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban said on Monday that Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister, in a meeting with Taliban deputy chief minister Abdul Ghani Baradar pledged to invest $500 million in the construction of a key railway project in Afghanistan.
According to a statement from Baradar’s office, the project aims to connect the northern city of Torghundi with Herat and Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan.
As part of the plan, Kazakhstan will also establish a logistics and transportation company in Herat to support the railway project, the statement said.
The two sides met at the Gulkhana Palace, where they discussed strengthening economic ties, investing in infrastructure projects, and expanding trade relations, according to the Taliban.
Zhumangarin also expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to extend internet services into Afghanistan, promising cheaper internet access for Afghan citizens. He said Kazakh investors are prepared to enter Afghanistan’s mining, oil, and gas sectors, with technical teams already dispatched to Kabul.
He further announced plans to facilitate visa issuance for Afghan traders, launch direct flights between the two countries, and expand banking and commercial cooperation.
Baradar, in the meeting, highlighted the historic ties between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, saying that shared cultural and historical connections have positively influenced their trade relations. He said bilateral trade had expanded under Taliban rule and pointed to the recent signing of a roadmap aiming to raise trade volume to $3 billion.
The roadmap, Baradar added, will enhance cooperation in areas such as commerce, agriculture, mining, transportation, railways, and industry. He reiterated the Taliban’s willingness to open Afghanistan’s mining sector to Kazakh investors and to sign agreements in agriculture and livestock quarantine services.
Baradar also emphasized the importance of developing banking ties and collaborating on oil field exploration. He noted that Afghanistan has initiated the establishment of an operational company to manage regional railway trade, which would soon be introduced to Kazakhstan.
He added that the Taliban are committed to advancing industrial, commercial, and transport cooperation with regional countries and had prepared a draft agreement for creating a four-nation cooperation center involving Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Baradar called for the launch of direct flights between Kabul and Astana, easier visa issuance for Afghan traders, and Afghanistan’s active participation in regional economic forums.
The Taliban statement said Baradar welcomed Kazakhstan’s initiatives and assured full cooperation on all agreed areas.
Zhumangarin and his delegation arrived in Kabul earlier Monday and are scheduled to attend an Afghanistan-Kazakhstan business forum on Tuesday.
