The Taliban is negotiating with Russia to conclude barter trade agreements

A delegation from the Taliban movement, headed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, is negotiating in Moscow with Russian officials and private companies to conclude barter trade agreements to enhance bilateral trade relations and attract investment to Afghanistan.

The Taliban authorities stated that discussions are underway with Russia about importing one million metric tons of petroleum products, according to the Afghan Khama Press Agency on Saturday.

It was reported that the Taliban proposed exchanging medicinal herbs, raisins and minerals, for Russian products, such as oil and other goods, instead of paying money.

Russian media quoted the head of the delegation, the Taliban’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Noureddin Azizi, as saying that Kabul needs more than four million tons of oil, some of which is already being purchased from other countries in the region.

It was reported that importing more products, such as wheat and sunflower, in addition to oil, is under discussion by the Taliban delegation in the Russian capital, Moscow.

Russian media quoted the head of the Taliban delegation as saying, “Since Russia is a friend of ours, we came here to reach an agreement on importing Russian oil and other petroleum products.

Azizi stated that in light of the “historical experience of the two countries in barter trade, the Taliban’s goal is to import Russian goods on the basis of barter”.

This comes as the Taliban signed an agreement to buy 350,000 metric tons of oil from the Iranian government last month.

Afghanistan is facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, as it has witnessed a sharp deterioration in its economic conditions since the Taliban seized power last August, which was followed by a move by world powers and international financial institutions to block or freeze billions of dollars in assets and aid for a government run by a pariah movement.