Afghanistan and Russia negotiate trade in national currencies
Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Commerce and Industries, confirmed to Reuters that technical discussions are underway about conducting mutual trade transactions in local currencies, according to a report by webangah News Agency.
“Considering regional and global economic outlooks, sanctions, and the current challenges facing both Afghanistan and Russia, we’re engaged in specialized talks on this matter,” Azizi stated.He emphasized that technical negotiations are ongoing.
The minister added that Kabul expects a critically important increase in trade volume with Moscow as both nations seek to strengthen investment flows. Last year’s bilateral trade reached $323 million between the two countries.
Azizi revealed that Afghanistan is also exploring the possibility of using national currencies for financial transactions with China.
The announcement follows Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk’s May 16 statement reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to expanding economic cooperation with Afghanistan. Overchuk stressed the need for “stable and predictable conditions in commercial interactions” to fully develop economic relations.
