Cargo transshipment: what benefits the Russian Federation will receive from the intensification of relations with Afghanistan

Russia and Afghanistan are striving to take their relations to a new level — for this purpose, a representative delegation of officials and businessmen headed by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk visited Kabul on November 12. The main objective of the visit is to fill the bilateral dialogue with practical agreements that will increase trade turnover. And also to tap into the country's transit and logistics potential - this will open Moscow direct access to the ports of the Indian Ocean, bypassing traditional sea routes. At the same time, Kabul is such an exotic city that even a few hours here turn into a real immersion in another world with its strict rules, contrasts and a special rhythm of life. What agreements were reached during the visit and the development of which projects will be a priority can be found in the Izvestia article.

The atmosphere in Kabul

A Russian delegation of more than 70 people, led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, arrived in Kabul on November 12 on a working visit. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki met the Russian side at the airport of the Afghan capital. The parties had a brief conversation right in the airport building, whose modest appearance is far from modern terminals in many countries of the world. Immediately after that, the delegation went to the city center, to the Palace of the Arg.

The journalists were driven to the venue not by the usual bus, but by Toyota and Lexus SUVs. When asked to lower the window to take a couple of shots, the local driver just spread his hands: the windows turned out to be fully armored, and such an option was not provided in them.

The convoy was accompanied by the military. At the same time, they looked completely different from how the Taliban fighters used to be portrayed in movies — in traditional clothes and with Kalashnikov rifles at the ready. Although there are many such people in Kabul. But the Russians were protected by fighters in full black tactical gear and bulletproof vests. At the same time, it seems that the whole city is divided into checkpoints, and armed men are on duty at each one. Sometimes there are American military equipment that remained here after the hasty withdrawal of US troops in 2021.

However, one of the diplomats assured that everything in the capital is not so critical — you can even walk around the city if you take into account local peculiarities. However, when asked to leave the protected perimeter, it turned out that such an option was not provided for the delegation members.

Such security measures are not accidental. There are still many terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan - in September 2022, two employees of the diplomatic mission were killed in a suicide attack outside the Russian embassy in Kabul. Earlier this year, an explosion occurred in one of the central districts of the Afghan capital, killing several people, and kidnappings are periodically recorded in different regions of the country. In addition, drug trafficking is taking place through Afghanistan, which creates additional threats to foreigners from criminal groups. Despite the official ban on opium poppy cultivation imposed by the Taliban authorities in April 2022, the drug business has not disappeared, but has adapted: in 2026, a new surge in opium production was recorded.

The Taliban movement itself is still recognized as a terrorist organization in many countries. Last year, Russia took a different path: the Supreme Court suspended the ban on the movement's activities in the country, excluding it from the list of terrorist organizations. According to HSE expert Grigory Asatryan, Russia has become the first country to recognize the new Taliban regime in Afghanistan. According to him, the Taliban are now showing some progress in public administration — the level of violence in the country has significantly decreased, and large-scale fighting has stopped. Nevertheless, there are certain questions about the legitimacy of the Taliban — they have not held elections since coming to power, and there are forces in the country opposed to this movement, said the head of the Center for the Study of Afghan Politics Andrey Serenko.

However, it is not worth imagining the country and especially Kabul as a zone of active hostilities. Although, as one of the escorts warned, the delegation was traveling from the airport along the best road and the most prosperous streets of the city. At the same time, you can even see ads for Pepsi and other popular carbonated drinks here. However, it has an important local feature: there are no human faces on street banners and signs, since the image of living beings here is equated to idolatry and is prohibited. Virtually any music is also banned. Instead of melodies from cafes or passing cars, the call to prayer is heard over the city five times a day.

Despite the strict rules of Sharia law, women with uncovered faces and those traveling unaccompanied by men can be found on the streets. Most of the men are dressed in traditional clothes, but there are also young men walking around in our usual jeans and jackets.

It is also not worth exaggerating the openness of the Taliban: women are essentially forbidden to work here, and school education for girls ends after the sixth grade. On the other hand, there is a luxury hotel in the city — the Grand Hotel Kabul — where women work, and locals calmly communicate in English. It was here that representatives of the business circles of the two countries met.

Prospects for bilateral relations

The main interstate negotiations were organized in the Arg Palace, a historic government residence built in 1880. It is now used as the central government building of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It is built in the traditional Afghan style with elements of European architecture.

Alexey Overchuk first met with the government's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar.

"He is one of the most key and authoritative leaders in the country," an informed source told Izvestia.

And this is immediately noticeable by the way the guard of honor reacted when he arrived to meet the Russian delegation.

Alexey Overchuk was accompanied at the meeting by representatives of various departments and Russian regions. Some of them carefully studied the certificates with photographs of their counterparts before the start of the negotiations: it is sometimes difficult for an inexperienced eye to distinguish the Afghan participants, except by the color of the turbans. However, the host party probably had no easier time — the members of the Russian delegation did not have any identification marks at all, so they had to navigate only by seating.

The negotiations themselves did not become a formality. Abdul Ghani Baradar's introductory speech turned out to be very thorough — he outlined in detail the key priorities of Kabul in cooperation with Russia. Afghanistan and the Russian Federation expect further growth in trade, which has more than doubled in eight months of 2026 and exceeded $349 million.

To this end, the Afghan side proposed to develop a joint roadmap, introduce zero and preferential customs duties, and simplify the visa regime, in particular, to issue multiple—entry visas for Afghan businessmen. In addition, it is proposed to hold annual exhibitions, specialized conferences and direct meetings between entrepreneurs and investors of the two countries.

The parties are deciding how to improve the delivery of perishable goods, including through refrigerated trucks. "In addition to dried fruits, supplies of fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries have begun," said Alexey Overchuk.

And some agreements work, as Izvestia found out, on a barter basis. "They give us pomegranate, and we give them sunflower oil," said one of the entrepreneurs.

Afghanistan expects to expand exports of its traditional products — saffron, figs, cotton, and the same pomegranates. Moscow intends to help rebuild the Afghan economy and create jobs, primarily by expanding trade, including helping Afghanistan supply its products to Russia, the Deputy Prime Minister explained.

Special attention is paid to the transit potential. Kabul aims to turn Afghanistan into a connecting transit center between the CIS countries, Central and South Asia within the framework of the North–South corridor. Moscow supports these efforts, Overchuk stressed. To do this, we need to develop roads and railways, and build a second tunnel at the Salang Pass.

Russia's main interest in Afghanistan is of a long-term nature and is connected precisely with participation in trans-Afghan transit projects, said Omar Nessar, a researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is the shortest land route that provides Moscow and the Central Asian states with direct access to the ports of Pakistan and the Indian Ocean, bypassing traditional sea routes.

In the field of energy and industry, the Afghan side invited Russian entrepreneurs to participate in the exploration, production and development of mineral resources, as well as oil and gas fields, expressing hope for the exchange of technical and geological knowledge. There was also an interest in developing industry, creating special economic zones and attracting Russian investments in drinking water infrastructure.

Representatives of Afghanistan noted that they are interested in supplying high-quality medicines and medical equipment from Russia.

— There are basic medicines here, even Western ones. There is no such thing as people dying here regularly simply because of the high temperature," said one of the diplomats.

At the same time, Afghanistan needs to repair and expand existing hospitals, as well as create a pharmaceutical factory for the production of medicines directly in its country. In the field of education, Kabul is counting on Russia's support in training its own engineering staff.

Afghanistan was invited to establish contacts with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). Alexey Overchuk made this initiative at a meeting with Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund. In the evening, in their presence, representatives of the Russian Federation and Afghanistan signed a number of documents on their intention to organize mutual supplies of various products. Medicines and wheat come from the Russian Federation, and fruits and vegetables from Afghanistan.

At the same time, the whole procedure was slightly chaotically organized. In one case, the translator was preparing to announce the signatory, but was surprised to find that they simply forgot to include his name in the papers — however, the right representative of the company was not at a loss and came to the table himself. Another time, the name was mentioned, but no one from the Russian side appeared, and the Afghan colleague had to go out alone. And the name of the Atlant company turned out to be so difficult to pronounce that the Russian side had to correct the presenter right on the move. But it rather relaxed the atmosphere.

For centuries, Afghanistan has been considered a strategically important node on the world map, around which the struggle of the leading powers for influence in the region unfolded. Today, this struggle for a crossroads is shifting from a military plane to an economic and diplomatic one. And the current visit of the Russian delegation to Kabul clearly shows that Moscow is ready to gain a foothold in this area seriously and for a long time, building a pragmatic dialogue with the new authorities of the country.