Kabul offers to trade minerals for Russian fuel

KABUL (Pajhwok): The minister of industry and commerce has proposed trading Afghanistan’s minerals and raisins for Russian fuel products.

Nooruddin Azizi, currently visiting Moscow at the head of a high-level delegation, floated the barter trade suggestion in an interview with a Russian media outlet.

Speaking exclusively to Sputnik on Friday, the minister said: "Afghanistan’s priority is to import Russian goods under a barter scheme."

If the proposed arrangement did not work, he explained, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) would go for financial transactions.

In return for supplies of Russian petroleum products and other goods, he said, his country could offer minerals, raisins and medicinal herbs.

Azizi added Afghanistan’s supplies of raw materials were under no restrictions from the US or the EU on such supplies of raw materials. "Afghanistan can pay for these goods with money."

The IEA is interested in concluding an agreement with Russia on purchasing a million tonnes of gasoline and as much diesel by the end of the current year.

Asking Russian businesses to invest in the development of Afghanistan's power networks, Azizi reckoned his country could generate up to 70,000 MW of electricity that could be shared with neighbours.

The delegation, led by the commerce minister, arrived in Moscow on August 14. The team held talks with Russian officials in Moscow before visiting Kazan city.

PAN Monitor/mud