Taliban Trade Minister Visits India to Bolster Economic Ties
Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban administration’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, has described his official visit to India as aimed at expanding trade relations between Afghanistan and India. In an interview with an Indian media outlet, he discussed topics including easing visa issuance, resolving challenges related to air, land, and sea corridors, and reviving the joint chamber of commerce between the two nations.
Azizi claimed that according to the Taliban government’s account, Afghanistan’s security situation is conducive to investment, citing ‘numerous opportunities’ in the mining, agriculture, and industrial sectors. He emphasized the importance of resolving ‘minor issues’ related to transit routes and the banking sector, adding that a special commission has been formed to address these matters through direct or online communication.
In response to a question about the Torkham border crossing and its impact on trade with Pakistan, Azizi said Afghanistan’s trade is not dependent on a single route and that current needs are being met via Central Asia, Iran, Russia, and the Middle East. Without referencing structural problems or political pressure, he presented the reduced impact of Pakistan border closures on domestic markets as a sign of the Taliban administration’s successful trade policy.
He also spoke about the implementation and continuation of programs aimed, in his words, at supporting female entrepreneurs and business owners within the country. According to Azizi, the Taliban leadership and certain international organizations have provided subsidies and equipment to women-led companies, with approximately 55,000 officially registered businesses owned by women in Afghanistan.
These claims come amidst widespread international skepticism and criticism from women’s rights activists. Many argue that the Taliban’s restrictive policies on women’s education and employment contradict their assertions of support and cast doubt on the credibility of such initiatives.
