General information
February 12, 1992 - date of establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.
In 1993 the Embassy of Afghanistan in Kazakhstan was opened (in 2005 the Embassy was relocated from Almaty to Astana). The Consulate General of Afghanistan also functions in Almaty.
In 2002 the Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Afghanistan was opened.
In 2003 the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Afghanistan was opened.
Since April 2018 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Afghanistan is A.O.Yesengeldiev.
Since October 2021 the Charge d'Affaires of Afghanistan in Kazakhstan is N.M.Takal.
Visits at the highest and high levels
Afghan presidents have visited Kazakhstan seven times (official visits by H.Karzai on April 15-16, 2004 and A.Ghani on November 19-20, 2015, and as part of participation in the OSCE and CICA summits).
Afghan vice-presidents and heads of the executive branch have visited Kazakhstan four times (A.Z.Masud on an official visit on June 13-15, 2007 and as part of participation in the SCO meeting on October 30, 2008, M.K.Khalili on May 21-23, 2014 as part of participation in the Astana Economic Forum, A.Abdullah on December 14 2014 within the framework of participation in the SCO meeting).
Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan S.Zhumangarin paid an official visit to Kabul on April 15, 2023.
Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan visited Afghanistan five times (K.Saudabaev on November 22, 2009, May 17 and July 20, 2010, E.Kazykhan on June 13, 2012 and E.Idrisov on November 24, 2016).
Interparliamentary cooperation
In 2012, the Speaker of the lower house of the IRA Parliament A.Ibrahimi twice traveled to the Republic of Kazakhstan at the head of Afghan delegations (march 14 - Meeting of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, August 28-29 - International Conference on the theme «From a ban on nuclear tests to a world free of nuclear weapons»).
May 11-12, 2013. A parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan headed by the Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security of the Majilis M.Ashimbayev visited Afghanistan.
On December 9-13, 2013, at the invitation of the leadership of the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, a delegation of the Lower House of the Parliament of Afghanistan led by the Second Vice-Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament S.Saljuqi visited Kazakhstan.
On June 14-17, 2015, the delegation of the Lower House of the Parliament of Afghanistan consisting of the Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Women and Children Affairs Sh.P.Ahmadi and a member of the Commission on Budget B.M.Jawzjani took part in the International Conference dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Assembly of the Nard of Kazakhstan in Astana.
From May 31 to June 1, 2016 member of the Parliament of Afghanistan S.Saljuqi took part in the international conference "Religions against terrorism" and the meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana.
On September 26-27, 2016, Chairman of the International Affairs Commission of the Senate of the Parliament of Afghanistan A.Pashtun took part in the Asian Interparliamentary Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation in Astana.
Trade and economic cooperation
Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan in 2023 amounted to more than 522.1 million dollars.
Exports from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan in 2023 amounted to more than 504.2 million U.S. dollars.
The main export commodities from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan are: wheat or wheat-rye flour (with a share of 58.3%), wheat (19.4%), flat-rolled cold-rolled non-alloy steel (4.2%), sunflower oil (3.4%), dried leguminous vegetables (3%), mixed mineral fertilizers (2.2%), flax seeds (2.1%), natural gas (2%) and others.
Imports to Kazakhstan from Afghanistan in 2023 amounted to more than $17.9 million. U.S. dollars.
The main goods imported to Kazakhstan from Afghanistan are: water, including mineral and carbonated, with sugar (with a share of 80.5%), grapes, fresh or dried (6.1%), plants used in perfumery or pharmacy (2.7%), onions, garlic (2.7%) and others.
According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the inflow of foreign direct investment from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan amounted to $1 million.
In 2023, 197 entrepreneurs and 70 companies from Afghanistan were sent to Kazakhstan. During their visits, the following contracts were concluded:
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation
On October 17, 2021, during the visit of the Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan for International Cooperation E.Kazykhan to Afghanistan, humanitarian aid in the amount of 5 thousand tons of flour (74 wagons) was transferred.
In December 2021, during the visit of Kazakhstan trade and economic delegation headed by the Minister of Trade and Integration B.Sultanov, humanitarian aid in the form of medicines (1.5 tons) was transferred to the Afghan side. In January 2022 the remaining part of humanitarian aid will be transferred to the Afghan side.
г. Mazar-e-Sharif (200 tons of rice groats, 60 tons of vegetable oil, 2 tons of pasta, 116 tons of canned meat, 30 winter tents, medicines: moxifloxacin and favipiravir).
On February 20, 2022 in the Afghan railway port of Khairaton (Balkh province) the official transfer of the next batch (5 containers, 39 tons of medicines) of Kazakh humanitarian aid to the Afghan people took place.
On August 31, 2022 in the UN logistics terminal «Termez Cargo Center» Termez (RU) an official ceremony of transfer of Kazakhstan humanitarian aid (9 wagons including food, clothes, tents, beds, etc.) to UNAMA representatives for the Afghan people affected by the earthquake in the south-eastern provinces of the country at the end of June 2022 took place.
On April 10 and 12, 2023, 81 wagons of humanitarian aid, which included food items (buckwheat, peas, oil, condensed milk, etc.), were sent to the Afghan railway station of Hairaton (Balkh province).
On April 15, 2023, during the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan S.Zhumangarin to Kabul, a batch of humanitarian aid in the form of medicines was handed over.
On October 10, 2023 in order to provide assistance as a result of a major earthquake in Herat province, a rescue team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the number of 45 people arrived in Herat.
On October 11, 2023 in connection with the order of the President of the RK K.K.Tokayev for the victims of the earthquake in Herat province by a special airlift arrived humanitarian cargo, which included food, tents, clothes and bedding weighing more than 1600 tons.
On October 21, 2023, a shipment of Kazakhstani humanitarian aid for victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan's Herat province in the amount of 27 wagons with a total weight of 1662 tons arrived at the territory of the Afghan railway station «Hairaton» (Balkh province). The aid included rice, flour, vegetable oil, canned milk, mattresses, blankets, sheets, pillows, warm clothes, tents, underwear, pillowcases and beds.
In 2009 and 2018, agreements on educational interaction were signed, within the framework of which Afghan students, masters and doctoral students are regularly studying in the universities of Kazakhstan on the basis of the provided grants. In May 2023, the next enrollment of 30 Afghans will take place.