Iranian envoy warns Western interventions threaten regional security

A Russian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk is expected to visit Afghanistan soon to discuss trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, Russian officials have announced.

Zamir Kabulov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and an adviser to the Russian foreign minister, announced the planned visit while speaking at a conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on security issues in Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Kabulov said trade turnover between Russia and Afghanistan had increased significantly, doubling in the first half of this year.

“Trade turnover between our countries is growing; it doubled in the first half of this year,” Kabulov said, adding that although the figures remain modest compared with other countries, the growth is significant for Afghanistan.

He stressed the importance of maintaining the positive trend and expanding economic engagement between the two countries.

“It’s important that this trend is sustainable and progressive. We will strive to maintain this pace of development,” he said.

Kabulov added that the growing economic relationship would soon be a key focus of a high-level Russian delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk.

The planned visit comes as Moscow and Kabul seek to strengthen economic ties, with trade and commercial cooperation emerging as key areas of engagement.

Further details about the delegation’s schedule and the specific agreements expected during the visit have not yet been announced.

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.