KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Kazakhstan will invest $500 million to begin construction of the Torghundi-Herat-Spin Boldak railway line, a major infrastructure project designed to boost regional trade.
The announcement came on Monday during a meeting in Kabul between Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Serik Zhumangarin, and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
According to a statement from the Taliban’s Economic Office, Zhumangarin said Kazakhstan is ready to establish transport and logistics companies in Herat to support the project’s implementation.
The Torghundi-Herat line is seen as a vital rail corridor for Afghanistan, connecting it to Central Asia, Russia, and China.
He also revealed plans to expand Kazakhstan’s internet infrastructure into Afghanistan and expressed interest in investing in the country’s oil and gas sectors.
Zhumangarin proposed launching direct flights between the two countries and said Kazakhstan is prepared to issue visas to Afghan traders and expand cooperation in banking, healthcare, education, trade, and transit.
Baradar welcomed the $500 million investment and said the Taliban are ready to work with Kazakhstan across various commercial and development sectors.
Zhumangarin is also scheduled to attend a joint economic forum in Kabul on Tuesday, where further cooperation is expected to be discussed.
Kazakhstan has maintained close ties with the Taliban since their return to power in August 2021 and is among the few countries that have removed the group from their list of terrorist organizations.
However, no country has formally recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
