Almaty, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan and Afghanistan entrepreneurs networked and signed trade contracts as part of a two day Afghan trade mission June 27-28, 2013 in Almaty. Representatives from KAZNEX Invest Agency, 14 Afghan and 30 Kazakhstani companies participated in the event organized by the USAID Regional Economic Cooperation project.

Afghan businesses included representatives of the food and agriculture sector (juice concentrate, dried fruits, and nuts), rug and carpet making sector, and marble construction. Kazakhstani participants of the trade mission included logistics businesses and companies that are interested in the procurement of Afghan products. A larger trade fair held by USAID last September yielded over $1 million in new trade deals between firms from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Participants exchanged information on the development of bilateral trade and economic ties between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, requirements for import of goods to Kazakhstan, transport corridors and considerations for the export of goods from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, and logistics issues related to trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. Afghanistani companies also provided detailed information and samples of their products.

U.S. Consul General Michael Snowden shared his support for this event. “Regional interconnectedness is vitally important as a driver of economic development and an anchor of stability in South and Central Asia. Cross-border trade is a cornerstone of the New Silk Road vision, and we are encouraged by the engagement of Kazakhstani firms in the development of the private sector in Afghanistan.”