Local sources say that visits by Russian and Indian traders to Kandahar have increased following the closure of trade routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan by the Taliban.
Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Monday, October 26, that senior Taliban officials in Kabul are encouraging Russian and Indian traders to visit Kandahar and purchase agricultural products, particularly pomegranates, figs, grapes, and other fresh and dried fruits.
The sources added that Indian traders recently travelled to Kandahar to purchase figs and pledged to export 100 tonnes of the fruit to foreign countries.
Meanwhile, a Russian trader named Kaliov has also travelled to Kandahar and intends to export 5,000 tonnes of pomegranates to Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, and South Korea.
According to the sources, Mohammad Younus Mohmand, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), is encouraging these traders to purchase agricultural products from Kandahar.
Meanwhile, traders dealing in fresh and dried fruits in Kandahar say the closure of trade routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan has caused millions of dollars in losses to traders, farmers, and ordinary people.
