Kazakh Trade and Integration Minister Serik Zhumangharin opened the Kazakh-Afghan Business Forum on August 3, stressing what he called the "importance" of economic ties between the two countries even though Astana considers the Taliban militants running Kabul to be "terrorists."
"I would like to reiterate again that Kazakhstan wants Afghanistan to develop further as an independent, neutral, integral, peaceful, democratic, and flourishing nation. We are interested in preservation of the trade, economic, transportation, logistic, as well as energy cooperation established with Afghanistan," Zhumangharin said.
In all, more than 200 representatives from Afghanistan have arrived in the Kazakh capital for the three-day forum. Kazakh authorities said the majority of those in attendance are businesspeople.
Earlier this week, Deputy Foreign Minister Qanat Tumysh said the forum will not affect Kazakhstan's official stance on the Taliban.
The Taliban is officially considered in Kazakhstan a terrorist organization, though Astana maintains official contact with Afghanistan’s Taliban-imposed government.
Tumysh emphasized at the time that none of the 150 Afghan officials and businesspeople expected at the forum were under international sanctions.
On the eve of the forum, Zhumangharin held talks with Taliban Industry and Trade Minister Nuriddin Azizi, who arrived to Astana the same day.
Zhumangharin noted at the talks that during the visit of a Kazakh government delegation to Kabul in April, the sides agreed to raise the bilateral trade volume from $1 billion to $3 billion.
He added that Kazakhstan's imports to Afghanistan were rapidly diversifying, stressing that Astana plans to deliver to Afghanistan goods, oil, chemical substances, metals, and machine-building items worth $500,000 in the near future.
The forum runs until August 5.