Kazakhstan Trade House in Afghanistan has officially opened in Herat province with the aim of increasing the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries.

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Noorudin Azizi called the opening of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Afghanistan a “positive and effective step” in strengthening and expanding trade relations between the two countries.

He stated that as a result of the trip of an Afghan delegation to Kazakhstan, Afghanistan’s exports to Kazakhstan have increased.

Meanwhile, Arman Yusintayev, head of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Afghanistan, highlighted that the aim of opening a trade house in Afghanistan is to increase the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries, adding Kazakhstan is interested in expanding trade relations with Afghanistan.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) for economic affairs, has said that the great powers of the world are seeking to prevent the economic and political progress of the IEA.

Baradar made the remarks at the graduation ceremony of troops from the 201 Khalid Ibn Walid Corps training academy.

“The great powers of the world view the Islamic Emirate with suspicion and are still trying to prevent our economic and political progress, but we must be wise and alert,” he said.

No country has yet officially recognized the IEA government, almost three years after their take over.
Sanctions imposed on Afghanistan’s banking sector have meanwhile had negative effects on the country’s economy.

The international community has set conditions for the recognition of the Islamic Emirate, including ensuring of women’s rights and forming of an inclusive government.

However, the Islamic Emirate claims that women’s rights are ensured according to Sharia law and that there are representatives of different ethnic groups in the cabinet.

Southern Afghanistan recorded one of its top three wettest Aprils in the last 40 years, a specialist U.S.-based agency said on Monday.

In general, the precipitation in April has supported standing crops in northern, northeastern, and western parts of the country, but flooding has affected around 10,000 acres of agricultural land, particularly in eastern and southeastern parts of the country, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said in a report.

The recent precipitation has also positively contributed to pasture conditions across the country, except in the central highlands, where temperatures are still typically low, according to the report.

As the precipitation season concludes, household access to food and income is expected to improve with the start of the harvest and agricultural labor opportunities, the report said.