ASTANA — A Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin arrived in Kabul with a humanitarian and business mission on June 20, delivering 318.8 tons of humanitarian aid and deploying a team of Kazakh medical specialists to provide healthcare services in Afghanistan.
Photo credit: Prime Minister’s press service According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the humanitarian assistance was sent on the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as part of Kazakhstan’s support for the Afghan people. The aid shipment includes 1.867 tons of medicines and medical supplies, 300 tons of sugar, 100 summer tents, bedding and other essential items.
The medicines include antiviral, hypoglycemic, gastroenterological, cardiovascular and bronchodilator drugs. Most of the cargo, transported in eight railway wagons, was delivered to Hairatan station in Afghanistan’s Balkh Province. Part of the medical supplies arrived by air together with the delegation.
The delegation includes nine specialists from leading medical institutions in Kazakhstan. During the Days of Kazakh Medicine in Afghanistan, doctors will spend a week providing consultations and medical assistance to residents and conducting training sessions and master classes for Afghan healthcare professionals.
“We view Afghanistan as one of our priority and strategically important partners in South and Central Asia. We are confident that a stable and prosperous Afghanistan is an important condition for peace and sustainability throughout the region,” Zhumangarin said.
“This humanitarian assistance is not only an act of support but also a manifestation of solidarity, respect and responsibility. Today, nine leading specialists from Kazakhstan’s medical institutions arrived with us, including pediatricians, gastroenterologists, surgeons, traumatologists and doctors from other specialties.
They will provide assistance to local residents and conduct master classes for Afghan specialists. We are continuing the medical mission launched last year,” he added. The visit comes shortly after President Tokayev signed a law on June 17 establishing the United Nations Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
According to Kazakh officials, the center will focus on strengthening cooperation with international organizations, coordinating regional and international efforts to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, developing trade and economic ties and attracting investment.
Zhumangarin and Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Haji Nooruddin Azizi also opened the annual Kazakhstan-Afghanistan Business Forum in Kabul. More than 50 Kazakh companies representing agriculture, technology, engineering, the chemical industry and information technology are participating in the forum, alongside representatives of government and quasi-government organizations.
Bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan totaled $541.8 million in 2025. The two sides discussed measures to increase trade turnover to $3 billion. Kazakhstan and Afghanistan also discussed expanding trade, creating conditions for investment, reducing logistical and certification barriers, strengthening direct business-to-business ties and developing electronic trading platforms.