Afghanistan Imports 275,000 Tons of Russian Gas

  Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said that Afghanistan imported over 275,000 tons of liquefied gas from Russia last solar year (1403).

The spokesperson mentioned that the value of the imported gas from Russia amounted to $132 million.

 “During the year 1403, more than 275,000 tons of liquefied gas worth $132 million were imported from the Russian Federation to Afghanistan,” said Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported an increase in Russian liquefied gas exports to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries. According to Reuters, due to new European Union sanctions against Russia, Moscow increased its liquefied gas exports to Afghanistan and Central Asia at the end of last year.

The report noted that in the months of January and February this year, Russia’s liquefied gas exports to Afghanistan reached 71,000 tons, showing a 52% increase compared to the same period last year.

Another part of the Reuters report stated: “Russia’s exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Afghanistan and ex-Soviet states in Central Asia have jumped following introduction of European Union sanctions against Moscow at the end of 2024.”

 “This is a very good, cheap, and high-quality deal. You know that during the Republic era, the price of gas in winter used to rise to 90 to 100 afghani per unit; but this year, with gas imports from Russia, there has been no significant price increase. Even if there was an increase, it was only one to two percent, which had no noticeable impact on the market,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

Some experts, referring to Afghanistan’s existing liquefied gas reserves, call for more investment in this area to avoid paying heavy costs for gas imports from other countries.

“Fortunately, Afghanistan itself is rich in natural gas reserves. If the government and private sector put more effort into this area and instead of importing low-quality and substandard goods, invest in domestic mines, it could have positive and constructive consequences for the country’s economic future,” said Abdul Naseer Rishtia, an economic affairs expert.

Despite the gas reserves within the country highlighted by experts, most of Afghanistan’s gas needs are annually imported from Central Asian countries and Russia.