THE Afghan government has signed an agreement with Russia to import fuel and wheat at a discount, reports Bloomberg.
Petrol, diesel, gas and wheat will be purchased in Russian rubles at a 'discount,' said Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, a spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Preparations are underway to start importing 'within days or weeks', he said.
The deal, the largest such agreement the Taliban ruling party has signed since it re-took power from the US-led coalition, includes one million tons each of petrol and diesel, half a million tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and two million tons of wheat to be supplied annually, Mr Akhundzada said, with longer-term deals with Moscow expected in the future.
The agreement follows a visit to Russia last month by Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi. In June, the Taliban struck a deal with Iran to purchase 350,000 tons of petroleum products to ease fuel prices.
No country has recognised the Taliban government, though Russia keeps its embassy open. Moscow has also approached several Asian countries to discuss possible long-term oil contracts at steep discounts as US officials continue to try and push a plan that would cap the price of the country's oil.
afghanistan consumes 1.3 million tons of fuel annually, imported mostly from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, according to the ministry.
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Petrol, diesel, gas and wheat will be purchased in Russian rubles at a 'discount,' said Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, a spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Preparations are underway to start importing 'within days or weeks', he said.
The deal, the largest such agreement the Taliban ruling party has signed since it re-took power from the US-led coalition, includes one million tons each of petrol and diesel, half a million tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and two million tons of wheat to be supplied annually, Mr Akhundzada said, with longer-term deals with Moscow expected in the future.
The agreement follows a visit to Russia last month by Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi. In June, the Taliban struck a deal with Iran to purchase 350,000 tons of petroleum products to ease fuel prices.
No country has recognised the Taliban government, though Russia keeps its embassy open. Moscow has also approached several Asian countries to discuss possible long-term oil contracts at steep discounts as US officials continue to try and push a plan that would cap the price of the country's oil.
afghanistan consumes 1.3 million tons of fuel annually, imported mostly from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, according to the ministry.
SeaNews Turkey
