Entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates have purchased desulfurized diesel products worth a combined $1.44 million through Turkmenistan’s State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange, according to Turkmen media reports.

The two contracts were concluded on Friday on the exchange’s external market, Arzuw.news reported, citing information from the state commodity exchange.

The buyers were entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and the UAE, while the seller was the state-owned Turkmenhimiya concern.

The agreements cover desulfurized diesel fraction, a petroleum product produced by Turkmenistan’s petrochemical industry.

The combined value of the two transactions was reported at $1.44 million. However, no details were provided regarding the volume of diesel sold or the individual value of each contract.

Turkmenistan’s State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange regularly facilitates the sale and export of the country’s petroleum and petrochemical products to international buyers.

The latest transactions highlight continuing commercial ties between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and the UAE, particularly in the trade of energy and petroleum products.

Belarus has expressed readiness to expand economic cooperation with Afghanistan, including the transportation and import of petroleum products through direct agreements with Afghan government institutions and private-sector companies.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday that Deputy Minister Ahmadullah Zahid held talks with Belarusian Deputy Trade Minister Vlad Mirvoyevich Ryzhkovsky and senior officials from Belarus’ oil and investment sectors.

The discussions focused on boosting bilateral trade, expanding Afghanistan’s exports, importing petroleum products from Belarus, attracting investment and strengthening cooperation in the industrial and energy sectors.

The two sides also discussed closer engagement between private-sector businesses and the need to make effective use of the economic potential of both countries.

According to the ministry, officials stressed the importance of expanding trade relations, developing joint investment opportunities and creating practical mechanisms for broader economic cooperation.

The Belarusian delegation assured Afghan officials that it would take the necessary steps to establish direct cooperation and sign agreements with Afghan government institutions and private companies for the transportation and import of petroleum products.

The meeting comes as Afghanistan seeks to diversify its economic and trade partnerships, increase exports and attract greater foreign investment and cooperation from countries in the region and beyond.