India and Afghanistan to post commercial attachés and activate new air freight corridors to expand bilateral trade.
Both sides to revive joint working groups and push trade beyond the pre-2021 level of USD 1.8 billion.
Kabul seeks streamlined visas, Chabahar shipping lines, and improved port processes as India promises quicker action.
India, Afghanistan To Deploy Commercial Attachés, Revive Trade Ties Amid Push for New Routes
India and Afghanistan will appoint commercial attachés in each other’s embassies, restart key trade corridors, and revive joint working groups to boost bilateral trade beyond USD 1.8 billion, aiming to strengthen economic ties as Kabul shifts focus away from Pakistan.
Summary
India and Afghanistan have agreed to appoint dedicated commercial attachés in New Delhi and Kabul to boost bilateral trade, currently valued at just over USD 1 billion, PTI reported. The decision was taken during a meeting between Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Hajji Nooruddin Azizi and India’s Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasad on Thursday.
M Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (PAI division), said both sides will soon post trade attachés to oversee commercial cooperation. He also confirmed that air freight corridors on the Kabul–Delhi and Kabul–Amritsar routes have been activated, with cargo flights expected to begin shortly.
The move comes days after Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar urged Afghan traders to scale down business with Pakistan, citing repeated border closures and the “political misuse” of trade routes.
India and Afghanistan also agreed to revive joint working groups on trade, commerce and investment, with an aim to push trade volumes beyond the pre-2021 level of USD 1.8 billion. Plans include fully operationalising the Chabahar Port route, simplifying customs and banking procedures, and promoting joint investments in pharmaceuticals, cold storage, fruit processing, industrial parks, SME centres and export zones.
Afghan minister Azizi sought faster business visas, regular shipping lines from Chabahar, new dry ports in Nimruz, and easier import-export clearances at Nhava Sheva. India has assured swift steps to strengthen air cargo connectivity and banking channels.
Azizi and his high-level delegation are in New Delhi on a five-day visit aimed at revitalising economic cooperation.
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