Russian deputy prime minister to visit Afghanistan soon for trade and economic talks

Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, has warned that Western military interventions and involvement in regional conflicts threaten security and stability across the Middle East and neighboring regions.

Jalali made the remarks on Friday during a joint conference organized by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which focused on regional security and Afghanistan.

Referring to developments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine, Jalali said Western interference had contributed to regional security challenges.

“What has happened in recent years as a result of Western interference in the affairs of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, and subsequently the war in Ukraine, is clear evidence of the threatening nature of the Western presence to the security of our region,” he said.

Jalali also said Iran had faced what he described as Western intervention and military aggression over the past year.

The conference brought together representatives of regional organizations and countries to discuss security challenges in Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis as nearly 16 million people struggle to access sufficient food ahead of winter, while acute malnutrition among women and children continues to rise, officials from international humanitarian organisations have warned.

Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), has warned that approximately one-third of Afghanistan’s population could face hunger this winter if urgent action is not taken.

In a recent statement, Egeland said the number of people unable to access the food they need had increased by two million compared with the same period last year.

He attributed the worsening situation to rising inflation, high unemployment, climate change and declining humanitarian assistance, warning that millions of Afghan families are struggling to meet their basic needs.

“Mothers I met last month in Kabul and Kandahar told me they have too little food for their children, and feared the coming winter,” Egeland said.

He also expressed concern over declining international support, describing Afghanistan’s humanitarian response as one of the least-funded operations globally.

Meanwhile, John Aylieff, Afghanistan Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP), said acute malnutrition among women and children had deteriorated significantly.

“About 1.3 million more women and children are acutely malnourished this year even than they were in 2022 just after the country was taken over,” Aylieff said, referring to the period following the IEA’s return to power.

He added that the international community’s withdrawal and the near-collapse of Afghanistan’s economy had contributed to the worsening crisis.

“So it is deepening. It is extremely serious and it is a crisis which is spinning out of control which we simply don’t have the resources to contain,” Aylieff warned.

Egeland called for an urgent increase in humanitarian assistance, particularly for women, children and Afghans recently returned from Iran and Pakistan.

Humanitarian officials warn that without additional funding and sustained support, food insecurity and malnutrition could worsen further as winter approaches, placing millions of vulnerable Afghans at greater risk.

Trade turnover between Russia and Afghanistan doubled in the first six months of 2026, indicating a steady growth trend in economic ties between the two countries, Russian Presidential Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has said.

According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Kabulov made the remarks on Friday, October 16, during a conference on security in Central Asia and Afghanistan hosted by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

“Trade turnover between our countries is growing. In the first half of this year, it doubled,” Kabulov said.

He acknowledged that the overall trade figures remain modest but described the increase as significant for Afghanistan, which he said is recovering from two decades of US and NATO military presence.

Moscow Seeks to Sustain Trade Growth

Kabulov stressed that maintaining steady and progressive growth in bilateral trade is important, adding that Russia would work to sustain the current pace of development.

He also said Russia and Afghanistan were building relations based on mutually beneficial and constructive engagement.

The remarks highlight Moscow’s stated intention to strengthen economic cooperation with Afghanistan as regional countries continue discussions on security, stability and development across Central Asia and Afghanistan.