Trade between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan reached $581 million in the past six months, officials in Afghanistan’s western Herat province said.

The figure was discussed during a meeting between Herat Governor Noor Ahmad Islam Jar and a Kazakh delegation led by Yerkin Tukumov, Kazakhstan’s special representative for Afghanistan.

Tukumov stressed the need to expand transit capacity and remove customs barriers to facilitate increased trade between the two countries. He also invited Afghan officials to attend a joint economic meeting scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan.

Islam Jar highlighted Herat’s strategic location and security, describing the province as having significant potential to serve as a hub for investment and regional trade.

Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have previously discussed expanding trade in agricultural products, including Afghan agricultural exports in exchange for flour imports from Kazakhstan.

The two sides have also reached understandings on cooperation over the Torghundi-Herat railway project, which is intended to strengthen transport and trade links.

The latest discussions come as Kabul and Astana work on a bilateral economic cooperation roadmap, with the two countries aiming to increase annual trade to $3 billion.

Ariana Afghan Airlines has increased cargo flights between Kabul and Delhi to facilitate the transportation of commercial goods and support Afghan traders.

In a statement issued Saturday, the airline said it will now operate two scheduled cargo flights daily on the Kabul-Delhi route, up from one flight per day previously.

The airline said Afghan traders and commercial companies can use the daily cargo services to transport their goods quickly, safely and reliably between Afghanistan and India.

Ariana Afghan Airlines said it is working to further expand and improve its air cargo services to support trade, meet the needs of Afghan traders and facilitate Afghanistan’s exports and imports.

Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to establish a joint commission on road transport and facilitate transit between the two countries following two days of talks in Herat.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said the meeting brought together technical delegations from both countries to strengthen bilateral transport and transit cooperation.

The talks focused on easing visa procedures for Afghan and Turkmen drivers and traders, operationalising the Lapis Lazuli transit corridor and increasing the movement of transit vehicles between the two countries.

The sides also agreed to establish a joint commission to address road transport issues and improve coordination.

Representatives from Afghanistan’s ministries of foreign affairs, industry and commerce and the railway authority attended the talks, alongside the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. Railway links, bilateral trade and wider transit cooperation were also discussed, with private-sector representatives expected to participate in future discussions.

The agreement comes as Turkmenistan works to strengthen its role as a regional transport and logistics hub, using its road, rail and Caspian Sea infrastructure to connect Central Asia with markets to the west and south.

A key part of that network is the International Seaport of Turkmenbashi, which links Turkmenistan with Azerbaijan and onward routes towards the South Caucasus and Europe.

Turkmenistan’s transport infrastructure also forms part of the wider Middle Corridor, or Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, connecting China and Central Asia with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye before reaching European markets.

For Afghanistan, the Lapis Lazuli Corridor is particularly important. It connects Afghanistan through Turkmenistan and across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, providing a potential route towards European markets.

Rail links such as the Herat-Torghundi line could further connect Afghanistan’s markets with Turkmenistan’s wider transport network.

The latest agreement puts road transport and transit facilitation at the centre of efforts by the two neighbours to expand trade and strengthen regional connectivity.