Due to difficulties in obtaining foreign currency, progress has been made in discussions with Russian financial institutions and banks to pay for goods purchased from Russia using Afghanistan’s currency, according to the acting Minister of Commerce of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Acting Minister of Commerce Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters that similar arrangements are also being discussed with the Chinese government. He said these discussions are being held with the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan.
Russia is also working to reduce its reliance on the US dollar in international transactions. And since the Taliban government that took power after overthrowing the Afghan government has not been recognized by many countries in the world, there have been difficulties in obtaining foreign currency, including US dollars. According to Azizi, technical experts from both countries are continuing discussions on the proposal submitted to Russia. However, neither the Russian Central Bank nor the Chinese Foreign Ministry has officially commented on this matter.
Azizi said that currently, $300 million worth of goods are traded annually with Russia, and this amount will increase many times over as investments increase in the future. In this regard, he also said that Afghanistan is planning to increase the import of oil and plastic from Russia. While about $1 billion worth of trade transactions are conducted annually with China, he revealed that a team has been formed between officials from the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese Embassy to discuss using Afghani for payments.
After a 20-year long war against the Taliban, when US troops suddenly withdrew from the country, the Taliban government that took power in Afghanistan in 2021 has not yet been officially recognized by any country. However, Russia has been gradually strengthening ties with the Taliban government. In this regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last July that the Taliban is an important partner in the fight against terrorism.
