Kabul Engages with US and Russia to Boost Investment and Trade Relations
The President of Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment emphasized the expansion of economic relations, attracting investment, and increasing exports during separate meetings with officials from the Afghanistan-US Joint Chamber of Commerce and the Russian Ambassador in Kabul.
In a meeting with Jeffrey Greico, head of the Afghanistan-US Joint Chamber of Commerce, Sayed Karim Hashemi highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. He called for establishing direct links between Afghan businesses and American companies and investors, particularly Afghan-Americans. He also stressed increasing Afghanistan’s exports to the US market and supporting entrepreneurs and small to medium enterprises.
Hashemi identified the transfer of technology, managerial expertise, and direct interaction between traders and investors of the two countries as fundamental needs of the private sector. He also emphasized efforts to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets, describing them as belonging to the Afghan people—a key economic challenge the country has faced in recent years.
In response, Greico expressed the Joint Chamber’s readiness to closely cooperate with Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries. He noted that several American companies have shown interest in investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector. Greico also invited Hashemi to attend an economic event in Uzbekistan with a delegation of US traders and investors to present Afghanistan’s investment opportunities.
In a separate meeting with Dmitry Zhirnov, the Russian Ambassador to Kabul, Hashemi focused on developing trade and investment relations between Afghanistan and Russia. They discussed exchanging trade delegations, attracting joint investments, and strengthening ties between the private sectors of both countries.
The President of Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment proposed sending Russian experts to collaborate with Afghanistan’s private sector to facilitate the transfer of technical knowledge and industrial expertise. He also emphasized exchanging lists of active traders and companies in both countries to implement market-based practical initiatives.
The Russian Ambassador pointed to positive growth in bilateral trade last year but noted that current trade levels still fall short of their potential and require greater efforts. He pledged to introduce Afghanistan’s large economic projects and investment opportunities to Russian traders and investors at international forums and described the private sector’s role as key to expanding economic cooperation between the two nations.
