The fifth Imam Abu Hanifa National and International Exhibition will be held in Kabul from October 7 to 13, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) says.

Representatives from more than 20 countries are expected to attend, including Russia, India, Türkiye and Japan.

Ahmad Shakil Hazim, ACCI’s Deputy for Policy and Technical Affairs, said the exhibition would give traders, investors and producers an opportunity to showcase their products and expand business ties with international markets.

Economic experts say international trade exhibitions can strengthen commercial relations between Afghan and foreign businesses and help attract investment.

The fourth edition of the exhibition was held in Kabul last year, with officials saying trade agreements and contracts worth more than $700 million were signed between Afghan and foreign traders on the sidelines of the event.

Afghanistan and Russia have discussed ways to expand economic and trade cooperation, including increasing exports of Afghan products to Russia and importing Russian machinery and technology into Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi met with Nikita Kornienko, Minister of International and Interregional Cooperation of Russia’s Chelyabinsk Region, and his delegation, according to the ministry.

The talks focused on strengthening economic ties, improving coordination between traders from both sides, expanding exports of Afghan goods to Chelyabinsk, importing Russian machinery and modern technologies, and enhancing banking cooperation.

Azizi highlighted the need to increase Afghan exports to Russia and said Afghanistan was ready to establish a distribution centre for Russian goods in Afghanistan and a market for Afghan products in Chelyabinsk.

Kornienko welcomed greater trade cooperation with Afghanistan and invited a delegation from the Islamic Emirate, including private-sector representatives, to visit Chelyabinsk to help strengthen coordination between traders from both sides.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said the two sides described the meeting as productive and stressed the need to further expand economic and trade relations between Afghanistan and Russia.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce says 20 trade memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $267 million have been signed following business meetings between Afghan traders and private-sector representatives and officials from Uzbekistan’s Kashkadarya province.

The agreements were signed on the sidelines of a business networking conference between Afghan private-sector representatives and Kashkadarya in Kabul. Officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, representatives of Kashkadarya province, Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Kabul, and private-sector representatives from both countries attended the conference.

Ahmadullah Zahid, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, said economic relations and trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have increased following visits by delegations from both sides.

He stressed the need to simplify trade and transit procedures and remove existing obstacles. He also said Afghanistan is ready to discuss the transit of its export goods through Uzbekistan.

Shahret Muradov, Deputy Governor of Kashkadarya, said the province is ready to expand trade and industrial cooperation with Afghanistan and host Afghan delegations and traders.

The agreements cover sectors including food products, clothing, construction, livestock, electronic equipment, and furniture.