Afghanistan urges India to scale up trade

KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban government urged India on Thursday to scale up trade and open cargo hubs in its territory, as it strengthens ties with New Delhi and seeks alternatives to Pakistan after repeated border clashes and closures.

During talks, Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s commerce minister, also asked India to help set up scheduled shipping services to move Afghan goods through the Indian-operated Chabahar Port in Iran, his ministry said.

Landlocked Afghanistan has redirected more goods to Iran and Central Asia in recent months after armed clashes shut key crossings with Pakistan.

Azizi met India’s Minister of State for Commerce, Jitin Prasada, in New Delhi and discussed investment, joint ventures and expanding opportunities for Afghan exporters, the Afghan commerce ministry said.

Azizi also suggested India develop dry ports in Afghanistan’s southwestern Nimroz province bordering Iran, and ease cargo processing at Nhava Sheva, India’s largest container port near Mumbai, the ministry added.

Afghan officials told Reuters last week that shipments have been growing faster through Iran and Central Asia than through the Pakistan corridor as repeated border closures disrupt its main transit route.

Azizi sought to speed up the process for Afghan traders getting visas and proposed cooperation in pharmaceuticals, cold storage, fruit processing, industrial parks and SME centres, his ministry said.

India’s Prasada said on X that the talks reflected a shared commitment to strengthening bilateral trade.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he discussed expanding trade and connectivity and reiterated India’s support for Afghanistan’s development.