Latest News
Russia offered U.S. use of Central Asia bases for Afghan intel: paper
President Vladimir Putin in June offered U.S. counterpart Joe Biden the use of Russian military bases in Central Asia for information gathering from Afghanistan, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Saturday, as American troops leave the country.
Taliban fighters have made major advances as U.S. forces pull out after 20 years of war, a security headache for Moscow which fears refugees may be pushed into its Central Asian backyard and its southern defensive flank destabilised.
In a rare offer during a period of frosty relations between Washington and Moscow, Putin proposed at June 16 talks with Biden in Geneva that they coordinate on Afghanistan and put Russia’s bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to “practical use”, Kommersant reported, citing sources.
The newspaper said this could involve the exchange of information obtained using drones but that there had been no concrete response from the U.S. side. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the Biden administration was in talks with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan about temporarily taking in thousands of Afghans who worked with U.S. forces and now face threats from the Taliban, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said the U.S. and NATO alliance withdrawal from Afghanistan made the political and military situation more uncertain, which in turn exacerbated the terrorist threat in the region.
Speaking at a conference with senior Central Asian officials in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Lavrov said Russia wanted to help kickstart peace talks between the warring sides in Afghanistan.
Cooperation between the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment and the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce has paved the way for exporting potatoes from Bamyan province to the Uzbek market.
In this regard, Sayed Karim Hashemi, President of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, and Doran Vahabov, President of the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, have agreed on the export of 100,000 tons of Bamyan potatoes to Uzbekistan. Work is underway to finalize the export agreement.
Meanwhile, the first shipment of potatoes, consisting of eight trucks, has departed for the Uzbek city of Termez through the Hairatan Port.
The chambers of commerce of both countries, in cooperation with local authorities in Bamyan, have facilitated connections between traders and farmers and coordinated the purchasing, marketing, and transportation of the produce. This initiative is expected to expand market opportunities for Bamyan farmers and strengthen trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk in Kabul on Thursday evening, emphasizing the need to strengthen bilateral relations and expand economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement from the Presidential Palace, several senior officials from both countries attended the meeting, including Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and representatives of Russia’s political and economic sectors.
Akhund described Afghanistan’s security and stability as favourable conditions for foreign investment and thanked Moscow for recognizing the Islamic Emirate and supporting Afghanistan in international forums.
Meanwhile, Overchuk praised the security situation and developments in Afghanistan, expressing Russia’s interest in investing in various sectors of the country.
He said around 70 representatives of Russia’s private sector were accompanying the delegation and were expected to hold discussions with relevant ministries and institutions of the Islamic Emirate on trade and investment agreements, as well as ways to address existing obstacles.
The Russian deputy prime minister reaffirmed his country’s support for Afghanistan in various fields.
Afghanistan’s private sector and the Russian Federation have signed 15 economic cooperation agreements worth a total of $103 million.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Alexey Overchuk, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Under the agreements, the two sides will cooperate in importing medicines, wheat, flour, and cooking oil into Afghanistan, as well as exporting fresh Afghan fruits, particularly pomegranates, to Russia.
Expanding bilateral trade relations and developing economic cooperation in various sectors are also among the key areas covered by the agreements.
According to officials, the agreements will facilitate two-way exports and imports between the two countries.
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan agree on export of 100,000 tons of Bamyan potatoes
Afghanistan and Russia discuss expanding economic cooperation and boosting investment
Argentina clinch futsal gold after defeating Portugal in Dakar 2026 final
Putin agrees to European role in Ukraine peace talks as Zelenskiy welcomes move
Afghanistan and Russia sign 15 economic cooperation agreements worth $103 million
Afghanistan finish runners-up after 6-0 defeat to Brazil in futsal final
Trump says US may strike Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ nuclear facility
Rubio heads to Central Asia while other US officials hit foreign policy hot spots
Violent protests spread across Europe as Albanian PM blames ‘foreign hand’
Governments take websites offline as critical cyber flaws trigger global alert
Tahawol: Russia’s special attention to situation in Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Discussion on US’s humiliating defeat in Afghanistan
Tahawol: High-level Russian delegation’s visit to Kabul discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s situation in focus at CSTO discussed
Tahawol: Efforts to halt deportation of Afghan refugees from US discussed
-
Sport4 days agoPortugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan’s record partnership highlights fourth day of Test against Zimbabwe
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan thrash Senegal 6-0 to reach Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
-
World4 days agoFirst Muslim US senator-elect El-Sayed calls for review of aid to Pakistan
-
Regional4 days agoIran defends two-day proposal for peace talks after US rejects conditions
-
Business4 days agoAfghanistan approves new foreign investment policy in bid to attract international investors
-
Sport3 days agoOmar Zawak thrash Istiqlal Kabul 5-1 in ACL
-
Sport4 days agoFirst Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe ends in a draw