The Islamic Emirate has signed a provisional deal with Russia to supply gasoline, diesel, gas and wheat to Afghanistan, Acting Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters.
Azizi said his ministry was working to diversify its trading partners and that Russia had offered the Islamic Emirate administration a discount to average global commodity prices.
The move, the first known major international economic deal struck by the Islamic Emirate since they returned to power more than a year ago, could help to ease the Islamist movement’s isolation that has effectively cut it off from the global banking system.
Russia does not officially recognize the Islamic Emirate’s government, but Moscow hosted leaders of the Islamic Emirate in the run-up to the fall of Kabul and its embassy is one of only a handful to remain open in the Afghan capital.
Azizi said the deal would involve Russia supplying around one million tonnes of gasoline, one million tonnes of diesel, 500,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and two million tonnes of wheat annually.
Russia’s energy and agriculture ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the agreement. The office of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who is in charge of oil and gas, also did not immediately respond.
