Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – In a bold show of regional realignment, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu arrived in Kabul this week, where he signed a landmark $500 million agreement with the Taliban government for the construction of a major railway linking western Afghanistan to Central Asia. The high-level visit underscores Astana’s pragmatic approach toward the Taliban and signals a broader shift in Central Asian engagement with Afghanistan—one that favors economic opportunity over political isolation.
Nurtleu met with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, with both sides emphasizing deeper cooperation in trade, transit, education, and security. The centerpiece of the visit was the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the Herat–Torghundi railway, a 115-kilometer line that will connect Afghanistan to Turkmenistan and extend trade routes toward Iran and the Arabian Sea.
Baradar hailed the agreement as a foundation for turning Herat into a regional logistics hub. The Afghan side also pushed for relaxed visa rules for Afghan traders, the resumption of direct Kabul–Astana flights, and efforts to raise bilateral trade to $3 billion. Plans were also discussed to boost cooperation in infrastructure, energy, communications, and agriculture.
In tandem with the diplomatic outreach, Kazakhstan’s state-linked mining company Kazakhmys Barlau has launched exploration efforts in Afghanistan’s resource-rich Nuristan Province. CEO Galym Nurzhanov, speaking to local media, described the region as a “geological time capsule” and revealed early findings of lead-zinc deposits with ore concentrations as high as 41%, calling it “ready-to-ship material.”
Despite international skepticism toward the Taliban regime, Kazakhstan’s engagement reflects a growing sentiment across Central Asia: that stability and economic development in Afghanistan are regional imperatives. Nurtleu reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s support for Afghanistan’s reconstruction, food security, and long-term growth, stressing that Astana’s foreign policy toward Kabul is guided by “practicality, not ideology.”
The move comes as tensions simmer over projects like the Qosh Tepa Canal, but both sides appeared eager to sideline political friction in favor of regional connectivity, trade corridors, and energy integration. As Kazakhstan deepens its foothold in Afghan infrastructure and mining, this visit may mark the start of a new era in Central Asia’s engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
