Kazakhstan To Invest $500 Million In Afghan Railway Project, Says Taliban

The Taliban has announced that Kazakhstan plans to invest $500 million in a major railway project in Afghanistan, as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two sides.

On Monday, the Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, met with Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, on Monday to discuss expanding bilateral economic ties.

During the meeting, Mullah Baradar revealed that the two sides had signed a draft roadmap aimed at increasing trade between Kabul and Astana to as much as $3 billion. He claimed that trade relations between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have continued to grow since the Taliban’s return to power and reiterated the group’s interest in deepening economic and trade relations with Kazakhstan and other regional countries.

The Taliban also stated that it has shared a draft agreement with the Kazakh delegation aimed at establishing a joint coordination centre among four countries—Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.

Baradar called for the launch of direct flights between Kabul and Astana, streamlined visa issuance for Afghan traders, and Afghanistan's active participation in regional economic forums.

Quoting Serik Zhumangarin, the Taliban said that Kazakhstan would create a logistics and transport company in Herat to facilitate the implementation of the Turghundi–Herat–Spin Boldak railway project.

The Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister also expressed his country’s readiness to support the extension of internet infrastructure to Afghanistan, which could result in more affordable internet access for the country.

Zhumangarin further stated that Kazakh investors are prepared to invest in Afghanistan’s mining, oil, and gas sectors, with technical teams already dispatched to Kabul.

The Kazakh delegation also expressed willingness to issue visas to Afghan traders, launch direct flights between the two countries, enhance banking cooperation, and collaborate on health, education, transit, and bilateral trade initiatives.