Kabul (TDI): Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has called on India to broaden commercial ties and create cargo hubs inside Afghan territory, as Kabul looks for alternatives to Pakistan following repeated border closures and armed confrontations.
According to the Afghan commerce ministry, Commerce Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi met India’s Minister of State for Commerce, Jitin Prasada, in New Delhi on Thursday, Reuters reported.
During the meeting, Azizi urged India to increase its volume of trade with Afghanistan and to consider establishing regular shipping services that could transport Afghan exports through Iran’s Chabahar Port, operated by India.
Afghanistan, which relies heavily on its neighbours for access to global markets, has been redirecting trade flows toward Iran and the Central Asian republics in recent months. Several key crossings with Pakistan have remained intermittently shut after clashes between security forces on both sides.
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The Afghan ministry said the two sides discussed investment prospects, joint ventures, and ways to boost export opportunities for Afghan businesses. Azizi proposed that India develop dry ports in Nimroz province, which borders Iran, and streamline cargo procedures at Nhava Sheva — India’s busiest container port near Mumbai.
He also pressed for faster visa processing for Afghan traders and suggested cooperation in pharmaceuticals, cold-chain logistics, fruit processing, industrial parks, and small and medium enterprise centres.
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Prasada said on X that the meeting underscored a mutual interest in deepening commercial engagement. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also noted that he had discussed expanding connectivity and trade links with the Afghan side, reaffirming India’s continued support for Afghanistan’s development.
