“Russia will supply 1million tons per year of gasoline, 1 million tons per year of diesel, 500,000 tons per year of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and 2 million tons per year of wheat per year,” Jawad said, adding that the IEA would buy the commodities at a discount to global prices.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has informed that the IEA and Russian has reached an agreement based on which Russia will provide Afghanistan with cheap oil, gas and wheat to Afghanistan.
In an exclusive interview with The Kabul Times correspondent, a spokesperson and advisor to the ministry of commerce and industry Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad said that led by acting minister of commerce and industry, a delegation has recently travelled to Russia, where they negotiated and signed the agreement based on which the country will provide Afghanistan with cheap gas, oil and wheat.
“Russia will supply 1million tons per year of gasoline, 1 million tons per year of diesel, 500,000 tons per year of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and 2 million tons of wheat per year,” Jawad said, adding that the IEA would buy the commodities at a discount to global prices.
According to the spokesperson of the ministry of commerce and industry, the Islamic Emirate is working to diversify its trading partners and that Russia had offered the IEA administration a discount to average global commodity prices.
Pointing to trade relations with other regional countries, the spokesperson of the ministry of commerce and industry said the ministry of commerce and industry has good relations with all neighboring countries.
“We have good trade relations with China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and other Asian countries, as well as with Russia, Europe, Australia and the U.S.,” Akhundzada said.
Meanwhile, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, as confirming the deal hours after IEA authorities reported details of the document.
“Yes, the deal is tentatively approved,” Kabulov told the state-owned media outlet in Moscow. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has made continued effort to hold talks with some regional countries about providing Afghanistan with cheap foods and some commodities. Therefore, Nooruddin Azizi acting minister of commerce and industry has recently visited Russia to talk about increasing trade between the two countries.
According to Afghanistan ministry of commerce and industry, Moscow had offered the Islamic Emirate a discount to average global commodity prices that would be delivered to Afghanistan by road and rail.
During his Moscow visit, acting minister of commerce and industry Nooruddin Azizi had said his “priority is to import these Russian goods on a barter basis.” Aziz said at the time, though, that Afghanistan could pay to buy the oil and grain from Russia “if the barter plan does not work.”
It is worth mentioning that in July, the IEA also signed a deal with neighboring Iran to purchase 350,000 metric tons of oil.
Samiullah Momand
IEA signs deal to import cheap oil, gas & wheat from Russia
