Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi says a delegation from Afghanistan may participate in this year’s BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia or attend the next event.

Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, Azizi said: "We have actually composed a letter [requesting participation in the BRICS Summit in Kazan] and sent it, now it is under consideration by BRICS officials.

“Respectively, when we get a reply from BRICS, when it makes a certain decision, we will make our certain decision as well. Perhaps we will participate [in the BRICS Summit] this time or next time," he said.

He went on to state that Afghanistan is interested in "participating as an observer".

Earlier this month the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the invitation of guests to the summit is decided by consensus of the BRICS members.

He told reporters that the unrecognized status of the Islamic Emirate is a problem that needs to be taken into account when deciding on its participation.

In September, the Islamic Emirate formally asked to attend the BRICS summit in Kazan.

BRICS Summit Underway

This year’s summit officially opened on Tuesday and will run from October 22 to 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting the event in Russia’s southwestern city of Kazan.

The three-day conclave will be the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia in decades and will be held at a time when the Kremlin is locked in a war on Western-backed Ukraine.

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The group started in 2006, and Brazil, Russia, India and China convened for the first BRIC summit in 2009. South Africa joined a year later.

The aim of the alliance is to challenge the economic and political monopoly of the West. The group sets priorities and has discussions once every year during the summit, which members take turns hosting.

Last year, BRICS extended invitations to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join, but the others have.

Leaders of BRICS member countries – including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa – are attending the summit.

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have also all arrived.

Leaders of several other countries that have shown an interest in deepening ties with BRICS are also participating, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva canceled his trip to Russia after suffering a head injury in a fall at home on October 19. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira will now represent the country at the summit.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also attending – and is expected to meet Putin on Thursday.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva on Tuesday announced the organization will soon launch a loan program to support the growth of small businesses in Afghanistan. 

In a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Otunbayeva also said that during her recent trip abroad, she discussed securing aid for Afghanistan with donor countries and organizations.

She further stated that UNAMA has received part of the assistance needed for the upcoming winter.

On Afghanistan’s border issues, she stated that the closure of crossing with neighboring countries “adversely affects Afghan farmers’ ability to export their agricultural products”.

She called on the Islamic Emirate to communicate with the relevant countries while UNAMA also works to address these issues.

Otunbayeva raised the topic of trade exhibitions in Kabul and said these events are important for promoting Afghan products.

In addition, she expressed a commitment to collaborate with the Islamic Emirate on drug eradication, finding alternative crops for former poppy farmers, and on drug addiction treatment. 

She did however praise the Islamic Emirate for their move to establish a commission to tackle drug and alcohol issues. She said this was “a positive step”.

Kabir in turn emphasized that the Islamic Emirate values UNAMA's mission in Afghanistan.

He stated that the operational framework for the High Commission for Combating Drugs and Alcohol is being developed and will be finalized soon.

He stated that the Islamic Emirate operates in accordance with Islamic principles and is willing to discuss any concerns that may arise. 

He also emphasized that UNAMA should handle certain matters with a sense of responsibility.

Kabir added that in the coming days, the High Commission for Combating Drugs and Alcohol, together with UNAMA, will convene a joint meeting with foreign embassies in Kabul to address several key issues.

Afghanistan's National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) says this (solar) year’s production of wheat totalled 4.83 million metric tons across the country, an increase of about 10% against last year. 

NSIA says the total area cultivated with wheat in Afghanistan this year is 12.2 million hectares. 

The directorate said in total, about 70 percent of cultivated agricultural land in the country is being used for wheat.

Officials said the main reason for the good harvest was timely rains and the switch from poppy farming to wheat. 

This increase is welcomed by officials, whose aim it is to encourage farmers to grow the cereal in order for the country to become self-sufficient. 

Currently Afghanistan needs a total of almost 7 million metric tons of wheat a year in order to cover the population’s needs. 

In order to determine the amount of wheat grown in the country, NSIA analyzed satellite images from the time of cultivation to harvest.