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Afghanistan looks to India partnership as Pakistan shuts down key trade corridor
He thanked India’s Ministry of External Affairs for facilitating discussions, noting that technical teams and private-sector representatives from both countries have been in continuous contact.
Afghanistan is accelerating efforts to diversify its trade routes after Islamabad halted the transit of Afghan goods through Karachi, prompting Kabul to strengthen alternative corridors — particularly via Iran’s Chabahar Port and expanded cooperation with India.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, Afghanistan’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Nooruddin Azizi, said trade disruptions with Pakistan had intensified in recent weeks, forcing Afghan exporters and importers to seek more reliable access to global markets.
“Pakistan has stopped Afghan transit and trade through Karachi,” Azizi said. “Historically, this was our primary link to the world. Now, we are working to create new routes, including Chabahar, and we have already begun the groundwork.”
Azizi noted that Afghanistan is coordinating closely with the Indian government to make the Chabahar corridor fully operational. He said only “minor technical challenges” remain and that both sides are committed to ensuring smooth, long-term commercial connectivity. The minister also met Afghan traders based in India, assuring them that Kabul would take concrete steps to resolve trade-related challenges and boost business confidence.
During his Delhi visit — the first by an Afghan minister to the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) since 2021 — Azizi said the trip could help reset bilateral economic engagement that has stagnated since the political transition in Afghanistan.
He thanked India’s Ministry of External Affairs for facilitating discussions, noting that technical teams and private-sector representatives from both countries have been in continuous contact.
“This visit opens new opportunities for both countries to work together,” he said. “Our objective is to enhance economic cooperation and reactivate historic relations in trade, investment, and other areas.”
The renewed outreach comes amid strained Afghanistan–Pakistan relations, including repeated closures at crossings that have disrupted exports, inflated costs for traders, and pushed Kabul to accelerate diversification.
With Chabahar emerging as a viable alternative and India signaling willingness to revive economic ties, Afghanistan is seeking a more stable and strategically balanced framework for regional trade integration.
Ariana Afghan Airlines has ranked seventh among 45 airlines in Central Asia in Skytrax’s 2026 rankings.
Company officials say Ariana Afghan ranked eighth on the list in 2025, but moved up one place this year following improvements in service quality and the expansion of its operations.
According to the officials, in 2026 the airline met criteria including service quality, flight safety, professional cabin crew, and experience in the aviation sector, placing it among the top 10 airlines in Central Asia.
Skytrax is an international organization that evaluates and ranks the quality of services in the aviation industry and airlines, assessing and ranking carriers annually based on specific criteria.
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Silk Road highway in Wakhan corridor now reaches the China border
The road is expected to be officially opened for use in the near future, potentially improving connectivity through the remote Wakhan Corridor.
The construction of the Silk Road Highway in Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor has been fully completed after five years of work, officials in Badakhshan province said.
Amanullah Chehra, head of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in Badakhshan, said the 121.13-kilometre road begins in the Barghil area and stretches to Bzai Gonbad near the Chinese border.
According to officials, the road is between 7 and 10 metres wide and includes three major bridges, each measuring approximately 20 to 22 metres in length. Numerous smaller drainage structures have also been built along the route to facilitate the flow of water.
The road is expected to be officially opened for use in the near future, potentially improving connectivity through the remote Wakhan Corridor.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, met on Wednesday with Bruno Lemarquis, UNAMA’s Deputy Head for Humanitarian Affairs, to discuss the situation of Afghan returnees and humanitarian assistance.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said Lemarquis briefed the minister on assessments conducted by UN agencies during visits to several provinces to identify the needs of returnee families.
Lemarquis said joint cooperation between UN agencies and the Islamic Emirate is needed to support and resettle returnees. He added that UN agencies are currently assisting thousands of families and called for the expansion of humanitarian assistance.
He also said the international community should pay greater attention to the needs of Afghans, adding that UNAMA is ready to cooperate in addressing challenges facing returnees.
Abdul Kabir welcomed UNAMA’s support and thanked the United Nations for its assistance to Afghans. He said various government institutions have been tasked with addressing returnees’ needs.
The minister also called on aid organizations to continue supporting returnee families, saying a program to resettle thousands of internally displaced families is also underway.
Kabir further said the necessary facilities have been provided for UN agencies to operate and that the Islamic Emirate welcomes UNAMA’s humanitarian cooperation.
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