Taliban Urges Russia to Increase Investment in Afghanistan’s Energy and Mining Sectors

DID Press: Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on Russia to increase investment in Afghanistan’s energy and mining sectors, as Kabul and Moscow seek to expand economic cooperation.

Muttaqi made the remarks during a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk in Moscow, where the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in trade, transit, energy and investment.

According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi emphasized the need to translate the existing political understanding between Kabul and Moscow into practical economic cooperation. He also called for greater Russian investment in Afghanistan’s energy and mining sectors, expanded trade and regional connectivity, and improved banking and payment mechanisms.

Overchuk said Russia was ready to expand economic cooperation with Afghanistan, including in transit, transportation and energy, and said conditions were favorable for launching practical joint projects.

The meeting came a day after Muttaqi held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on bilateral relations, economic and trade cooperation and regional issues.

Russia’s government has also said that bilateral trade increased 2.5-fold in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, while the two sides agreed to continue government-level dialogue on joint projects and strengthen contacts between businesses.