Russia, Taliban emphasize expanding economic cooperation, mining in Afghanistan.

Kabul Times News | 2026-05-15
Reporter: Shahbanu Noori

Kazan, Russia — Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Orchuk met with Taliban Acting Minister of Higher Education Nida Mohammad Nadim to discuss expanding economic cooperation, developing transit, and exploiting Afghanistan’s mineral resources.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 17th Russia-Islamic World Economic Forum in Kazan, and the two sides emphasized strengthening trade and economic relations between Moscow and Kabul.

According to the TASS news agency, the meeting discussed issues such as customs cooperation, health and veterinary supervision, developing regional transit, and utilizing Afghanistan’s economic potential.

The Russian government press office announced that officials from both sides positively assessed the results of the first meeting of the joint working group between Russia and the Taliban on economic and trade cooperation and emphasized the continuation of consultations to implement the agreements.

Alexey Orchuk stated at the Russia-Afghanistan trade meeting that the volume of trade exchanges between the two sides has the potential to expand further, and sectors such as energy, transport machinery, and mining could be the focus of future cooperation.

He also announced Russia's readiness to cooperate in the construction of energy facilities, the implementation of infrastructure projects, and the creation of joint production in Afghanistan.

According to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Russian companies can have extensive cooperation with Afghanistan in the fields of geological exploration, mining, and the supply of mining equipment.

Orchuk also proposed conducting comprehensive geological surveys and cooperating in identifying strategic mineral resources and rare metals in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Nada Mohammad Nadeem, who is leading the Taliban delegation to the meeting, said the composition of the delegation, which includes representatives from 14 different ministries and departments, reflects the Taliban’s desire to develop comprehensive relations with Russia.

According to the TASS report, he welcomed what he called Russia’s “official trust” in the Taliban and claimed that the Taliban government had ended four decades of war in Afghanistan.