According to sector data, Afghanistan has doubled its purchases of Russian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from January to November.
This move comes as Russia redirects its supplies away from Europe due to the political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.
While Russia has not officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate authority in Afghanistan, it was one of the first countries to engage in diplomatic contacts and establish trade deals with the group after its return to power in 2021.
Last year, Afghanistan and Russia signed an agreement for the supply of gasoline, diesel, gas, and wheat.
Moscow offered a discount on average global commodity prices to the Taliban government.
This deal marked the first major international economic agreement made by the Taliban since their return to power.
According to sector data, Russian LPG supplies to Afghanistan via rail exceeded 176,000 tons from January to November, more than double the deliveries recorded in the same period in 2022.
Furthermore, Russia’s total exports of liquefied petroleum gas to Central Asia in the first 11 months of the year reached 390,100 tons.
Unlike Western sanctions affecting Russia’s oil exports, liquefied petroleum gas exports remain unaffected. As a result, Moscow is redirecting its supplies away from Europe to regions including Central Asia.
