As the world witnesses a catastrophic energy crisis with the ongoing war in Ukraine, Talibani officials said that they are close to striking a deal with Moscow over the import of Russian oil and gas, media reports said.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a newsletter published on Friday, August 26, that their delegation’s visit to Moscow included talks about attracting Russian investors to Afghanistan and reaching an agreement for the purchase of oil and gas from Russia, reported Khaama Press.
This comes as Russian and Afghan banks are under sanctions from western nations. In view of this situation, Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, has stated that it is likely that the payments will go through a third country. However, he refrained to comment whether as to which country will facilitate the deal.
Moreover, as per the Talibani Minister, Azizi, who was quoted in the newsletter, the technical elements of the agreement have not yet been finalized and a team is still in Moscow to finalize them
The trade between Russia and Afghanistan faced blows as the duo are under sanctions. The process of transporting oil from Moscow to Kabul has proven to be rather difficult, as per the media portal.
