Kabul wants to launch barter trade with Moscow, according to RIA Novosti
Afghanistan wants to import Russian crude oil and goods in exchange for its minerals, as well as raisins and medicinal herbs, Minister of Industry and Trade Nuriddin Azizi told RIA Novosti on Friday.
“We can provide some of our minerals in exchange for imports from Russia, including for products and energy resources,” Nuriddin said, noting “In addition, we have, for example, dried fruits, raisins and medicinal herbs.”
The minister pointed out that Afghanistan has historically supplied large volumes of raisins to Russia. “We can supply hundreds of tons of such products. For example, prices for medicinal herbs are now very high, and Russia needs such raw materials for medicine. And we can use them in barter trade. We can supply raw materials to Russian factories, as we are already doing with China,” the minister explained.
Earlier this week, Nuriddin stated that Kabul wants to purchase a million barrels of Russian crude or even more, noting the government would “like to consider the option of barter trade.”
Afghanistan’s offer is likely due to a shortage of hard currency in the country. After the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the US blocked $7 billion in the Afghan Central Bank’s foreign exchange reserves stored at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Another $2 billion has been frozen by the UK, Germany, the UAE and some other nations.
In May, Afghan Charge d’Affaires in Russia Jamal Nasir Garwal spoke about plans to negotiate with Moscow on the supply of Russian hydrocarbons. The diplomat stressed that the country seeks to develop economic cooperation with Russia and is already in talks on business development and finance.
Data from the global trade website The Observatory of Economic Complexity showed that in 2020 Russia’s exports to Afghanistan reached $151 million and imports were less than $3 million.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT’s business section
https://ift.tt/w9ENJqK 19, 2022 at 07:45PM
from RT – Daily news
Itamar Ben-Gvir seemed to mock the strike against the Islamic Republic One of Prime Minister… Read More
Karl-Erivan Haub, former head of retail chain, might have faked his own death to escape… Read More
Italian police worry about radicalization among Muslims in Rome and elsewhere Italian security services are… Read More
Mike Johnson reverted to Republican orthodoxy as he vowed to get weapons to Ukraine as… Read More
Seizure of immobilized reserves could undermine global financial system, according to the International Monetary Fund… Read More
With help from the Democrats, the Republican speaker is set to put the $60 billion… Read More
