Afghanistan Strengthens Partnership with Russia to Address Potential Food Crisis Due to Iranian-Israeli Tensions

In a preemptive move to address any potential disruptions in food supplies due to the recent escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, Afghanistan is looking to enhance its partnership with Russia to import essential food items, according to official statements.

A high-level Afghan delegation is participating in the International Economic Conference in Saint Petersburg this week, engaging in discussions with Russian officials to ensure Afghanistan's food needs are met, especially given the current reliance on Iranian imports that may be affected by ongoing events.

Afghan Agriculture Minister Ataullah Omari affirmed to Reuters that Afghanistan is striving for self-sufficiency in agricultural production but still depends on some food imports, stating: "Afghanistan undoubtedly seeks self-sufficiency in its agricultural products. However, we still rely on some food items coming from Iran, and if there are problems there, it will certainly affect us".

Iran is a major source of dairy products and other goods for Afghanistan, raising concerns about trade disruptions due to military escalation between Israel and Iran.

Russia and Kazakhstan are the main suppliers of wheat and flour to Afghanistan, with Moscow also providing sugar and vegetable oils. Omari explained that Kabul requests wheat directly from Russia instead of flour, noting that the trade relations between the two countries are witnessing positive developments: "Over the past four years, since the withdrawal of Americans from our country, we have made efforts to provide our basic food supplies by relying on ourselves. The remaining quantity, including flour and wheat, is supplied to us by Russia annually".

He added: "We asked Russia to send us wheat instead of flour. In addition, the import of other products coming from Russia to our country annually is going well".

In a related context, Russia's decision to lift the ban on the Taliban movement last April, after categorizing it as a terrorist organization for over two decades, has enhanced bilateral cooperation, paving the way for further trade agreements.

The Afghan minister expressed concerns about the safety of Afghan refugees in Iran, numbering around 4.5 million according to the UN Refugee Agency, stating: "Our nation and people do not tolerate any harm happening there at all, especially to many of our refugees residing there who are our brothers".

This comes at a time when the region is experiencing unprecedented tensions, posing wide-ranging implications on food security and human stability.