Air cargo services between India and Afghanistan will be launched soon, an Indian foreign ministry official said on Friday, during a visit by Afghanistan's Taliban Trade Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi to New Delhi.
"I am pleased to announce that the air freight corridor on the Kabul-Delhi sector and Kabul-Amristar routes have been activated and cargo flights on these sectors will come very soon," the official, Anand Prakash, said.
Afghanistan’s Trade Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi is currently on a five-day visit to India aimed at strengthening economic cooperation, particularly in agricultural exports, at a time when tensions between Kabul and Islamabad remain high.
According to Afghan officials, the discussions are expected to cover several key areas: increasing Afghanistan’s agricultural exports to India; boosting India’s exports of pharmaceuticals, machinery, and textiles; establishing more dependable transport routes through new air cargo links and Iran’s Chabahar Port; restoring payment mechanisms disrupted after Afghan banks were cut off from SWIFT; and reviving the earlier India-Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor.
Azizi’s trip follows Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi less than two months ago, during which India upgraded its diplomatic presence in Kabul, signaling a renewed phase in bilateral engagement.
The visit also comes as Pakistan’s land border remains closed amid clashes, resulting in major losses for Afghan exporters, especially fruit traders. In response, the Taliban administration has urged Afghan businesses to diversify their trade partners.
