Russia Proposes Visa-Free Travel with Afghanistan to Boost Economic Ties

Rustem Khabibulin, head of Russia’s Trade Center in Afghanistan, has proposed abolishing the visa system between Russia and Afghanistan, a move he says could facilitate economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

According to Info Kazan, Khabibulin made the proposal ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. He stated that relations between Moscow and Kabul are rapidly expanding and that easing the movement of citizens could be the next step in this process.

He added that Russian companies are currently active in Afghanistan’s oil, oil refining, and natural resource extraction sectors, and that visa abolition could pave the way for expanding trade, increasing economic travel, and creating new markets.

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, the political and economic interactions between the group and Russia have increased. However, the lack of official recognition of the Taliban’s administration by much of the international community and the continuation of extensive internal restrictions, especially regarding civil rights, continue to cast a shadow over the nature and future of these relations.