'Want peaceful relations, open for business with India': Afghan minister Azizi amid conflict with Pakistan

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal with Afghanistan's Commerce and Industry Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi during a meeting. (Image: @PiyushGoyal/X via PTI)

Afghanistan’s Commerce and Industry Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi used his first trip to India to push for a major reset in economic ties, presenting Kabul as “open for business” and willing to guarantee the safety of Indian diplomats, according to an interview with NDTV.

He said Afghanistan is ready for expanded trade, long-term investment and deeper diplomatic engagement with New Delhi, even as cross-border clashes with Pakistan have disrupted regional supply lines and stranded thousands of trucks.

Asked about recent attacks in Pahalgam and near Delhi’s Red Fort, Azizi said he had only heard brief reports but stressed that Afghanistan seeks “peaceful relations” with India after decades of conflict. “We have seen hardships for 50 years. We don’t want even a drop of blood to be spilt,” he said.

He also drew attention to the Chamber of Commerce for Women, which he said has expanded its footprint and supported partnerships worth $100 million with NGOs and private companies. Azizi encouraged Indian women-centric businesses to collaborate with Afghan women entrepreneurs.

Azizi noted that Afghanistan’s current trade volume with India -- roughly $1 billion -- is “far below potential.”

His visit, he explained, was focused on “finding new ways for trade” and building on the momentum created when Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaqi visited Delhi weeks earlier.

According to Azizi, Muttaqi briefed the Afghan cabinet on the “warm reception” he received in India, encouraging Kabul to move ahead with plans to strengthen diplomatic presence in both capitals.

He announced that a commercial attaché will be posted to New Delhi within a month, while talks on new ambassadorial appointments are ongoing.

Even with the temporary halt of trade through Pakistan following fresh border clashes, Azizi maintained that these disruptions are not permanent, saying “political problems are temporary and not forever.”

Kabul recently instructed Afghan traders to suspend medicine imports from Pakistan for three months, a step he described as short-term.

He argued that Afghanistan is prioritising suppliers offering better pricing and higher-quality products, a message clearly aimed at India.

Azizi underlined the Taliban administration’s push to broaden transport connectivity. Kabul plans to subsidise Ariana Afghan Airlines and encourage private carriers to expand the India–Afghanistan Air Corridor, aiming to make cargo movement cheaper and more reliable.

“If an Indian company wants to invest in this air corridor, they have our permission,” he said. He added that the Economic Commission has advised lowering tariffs so Afghan exports like dry fruits and Indian exports such as pharmaceuticals can move more efficiently.

Beyond aviation, he said Afghanistan is actively examining sea access through Iran and overland routes via Central Asia to reduce its dependence on Pakistani corridors.

India’s long-standing interest in Afghan mineral reserves also came up prominently. Azizi reiterated that Indian firms are welcome as long as they operate within Afghan mining and rare-earth rules. “We give equal access for trade to all,” he stated, noting that Indian companies often bring competitive pricing and stronger technical capability.

The minister also insisted that Indian diplomatic staff would receive full protection if New Delhi reopens its larger mission in Kabul.

He said the Taliban government “doesn’t invite anyone without assurances on security” and claimed the environment in Afghanistan has stabilised to the point that old blast walls from the US era are being dismantled. “Afghanistan today is peaceful,” he asserted.

He invited External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to visit Afghanistan in June or July next year, once winter conditions ease. He urged Indian reporters to come as well and “tell the story of the Afghan people and the Afghan private sector,” underscoring Kabul’s effort to place India at the centre of its economic outreach amid shifting regional dynamics.