On August 30, 2022, a man is holding a gun as Taliban supporters commemorate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. The celebration is taking place in Kabul, Afghanistan. Reuters
While many nations have stopped doing business with Russia as a result of international sanctions, the Taliban government in Afghanistan is getting ready to sign an agreement with Moscow soon on the import of oil and gas.
According to Afghan authorities, a Taliban delegation was in the last stages of contract negotiations in Moscow and that Taliban officials were about to sign a contract authorising Afghanistan to purchase gas and gasoline from Russia.
Officials are discussing contracts for wheat, gas, and oil, according to a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Economy, Habib Rahman Habib, who was quoted by Reuters.
As a result of sanctions placed on the majority of banks from either nation, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister, Noureddin Azizi, stated that the delegation was also researching how Afghanistan may reroute its funds for Russian supplies.
At the port, Azizi announced that an undisclosed third country will be used to transfer the funds.
According to a source from Azizi’s office, according to Reuters, the contract for fuel and gas should be prepared soon.
According to Tolo News, Afghanistan already buys the majority of the food and energy it needs from Russia, and the two nations’ annual trade is thought to be worth roughly $200 million.
Due to sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe on Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is currently looking for new energy market consumers.
The Biden administration said that by encouraging other nations to reduce their reliance on Russian energy, the United States would deny Russian President Vladimir Putin the resources he requires to carry on waging war in Ukraine.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated that EU nations simply cannot rely on a resource that expressly threatens us. The European Union similarly pushed its members to cut ties with Russian oil, coal, and gas.
Despite the restrictions imposed on the two nations, the Taliban continue to purchase wheat, gas, and oil from Russia.
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