KABUL – A Russian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk arrived in Kabul on Thursday for discussions on trade and investment with Afghanistan’s Taliban government, Afghan officials said.
Russia formally recognized the Taliban government in July 2025, becoming the only country to do so since the former insurgent movement took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. As Kabul remains largely cut off from the international community and faces a struggling economy, the government has sought to attract foreign investment and establish new trade channels.
Overchuk received an honor guard in Kabul before meeting Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy prime minister responsible for economic affairs.
In posts published on its official X account, the Afghan government said Baradar emphasized the country’s economic and investment potential, pointing to “its strategic location, rich resources and a large workforce of 24 million people of working age.”
Baradar called on Russian companies to invest in mineral extraction, manufacturing, infrastructure and the development of special economic zones, according to the government. He also said Afghanistan could increase exports of agricultural goods to Russia while welcoming Russian investment in agriculture and livestock.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Overchuk as saying Moscow plans to expand commercial ties with Afghanistan.
“Today our delegation includes more than 70 businessmen representing dozens of Russian companies, many of which already work in Afghanistan, (while) many want to begin working,” Interfax quoted him as saying. “For our part, first of all, we see the task in creating conditions for contacts between business communities to develop normally.”
The delegation includes companies working in transportation, logistics, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, Overchuk said. He added that Kabul was interested in Russian fertilizer, including the possibility of “building fertilizer production plants directly in Afghanistan.”
“We see a big interest from the government of Afghanistan in developing relations with Russia. And we are ready to support Afghanistan in that. First and foremost, so that the economy develops, jobs are created, people have normal incomes and can live peacefully,” Overchuk said, according to Interfax.
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