Wednesday, September 9th, 2026
Mr. Sayed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), met with Mr. Dmitry Zhirnov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Afghanistan, on the sidelines of a ceremony commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The two sides discussed ways to expand economic and trade relations between Afghanistan and Russia.
During the meeting, the Chairman of ACCI expressed his appreciation for the cooperation and efforts of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in strengthening and developing trade and economic relations between the two countries. He emphasized the importance of increasing bilateral trade, expanding economic cooperation, and encouraging joint investments.
Mr. Hashemi called on the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to facilitate efforts to encourage Russian traders and investors to explore investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s major sectors with strong economic potential. He also invited the Ambassador to encourage Russian traders and companies to participate in the Fifth Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) National and International Exhibition, which is scheduled to be held in Kabul on 15 Mizan, corresponding to 7 October of this year.
The Chairman of ACCI also emphasized the importance of organizing an official visit by an Afghan business delegation to Moscow and requested the cooperation of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in planning and facilitating bilateral meetings between the Afghan business delegation and representatives of Russia’s private sector, particularly the country’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In response, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation welcomed the upcoming Fifth Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) Exhibition in Kabul and expressed his readiness to encourage Russian traders and companies to participate in the exhibition. He also emphasized the Embassy’s readiness to cooperate in planning and coordinating the visit of the Afghan business delegation to Russia and to facilitate trade and economic meetings between private sector stakeholders from the two countries.
The Russian Ambassador further emphasized the need to identify and utilize existing opportunities and capacities for joint investment, expand economic cooperation, and increase bilateral trade. He described the role of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment in connecting the private sectors of the two countries and facilitating trade interactions as important and constructive.
The meeting was held as part of efforts to strengthen economic and trade engagement and create new opportunities for cooperation between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Russia.
