The Acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Abdul Manan Omari, discussed the expansion of commercial and economic relations with the Russian Minister of Labor and Social Security on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

Samiullah Ebrahimi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, said that in this meeting, the two sides discussed the dispatch of skilled workers, sharing experiences in social security, and launching capacity-building programs for the ministry’s staff.

Ebrahimi added, "They discussed strengthening commercial and economic relations, and in this meeting, the acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and his Russian counterpart talked about sending skilled and semi-skilled workers, improving work conditions, sharing experiences in social security sectors, and launching capacity-building programs for the ministry’s staff."

Meanwhile, some economic experts believe that expanding commercial and economic relations with regional countries, especially Russia, is impactful for the country's economic growth.

Abdul Nasir Rashtia, an economic expert, said: "The government should provide all facilities and conveniences to initiate projects, whether in the foreign sector or private sector, to create job opportunities and address the problems of poverty, unemployment, and migration."

On the other hand, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment calls on the Islamic Emirate officials to ensure not only physical security but also economic security for foreign investments in Afghanistan to attract more foreign investors.

Khanjan Alokozai, a board member of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: "Every foreign company investing in a country requires economic and banking security. This ensures the investor that their investment is safe and will not face future problems."

Previously, at the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs had called on regional countries to assist Afghanistan in the areas of railways, road development and reconstruction, energy, and technology.