During the Afghan Minister's visit, Mawlawi Ataullah Omari participated in the 'India-Afghanistan Trade Opportunities' interactive session held in New Delhi, organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs. According to latest reports, the session brought together Afghan Agriculture Minister Mawlawi Attaullah Omari with Indian business representatives to discuss expanding agricultural, trade and investment cooperation. The minister emphasized that expansion of economic and trade cooperation between Afghanistan and India is vital to the mutual interests of both countries, highlighting the need to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors including agriculture, irrigation, livestock, agro-processing industries, investment, technology transfer, and export enhancement.
During the visit, India and Afghanistan agreed to work towards establishing a Joint Working Group to prepare a long-term roadmap for cooperation in agriculture. As per the MEA, this framework will focus on research partnerships, seed systems, irrigation, livestock and capacity building. The agreement represents a significant step forward in institutionalizing agricultural cooperation between the two nations, providing a structured approach for sustained collaboration in the agricultural sector. The visit, accompanied by a high-level delegation, was the fourth ministerial-level engagement between the two sides since October 2025 and comes amid growing diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Kabul. During the business engagement session, participants discussed opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, food industries, livestock, irrigation, agricultural technology, renewable energy, infrastructure, and other economic sectors, with emphasis on strengthening trade relations, increasing investment, and developing new partnerships between the private sectors of Afghanistan and India.
During the visit, the Afghan minister met with Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Minister of Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. As reported by the MEA, the two sides reviewed ongoing cooperation and explored new avenues for collaboration in agriculture, irrigation, livestock, agricultural research, education, capacity building and agri-trade. Food security, seed systems and enhancement of crop productivity featured prominently in the discussions. India reiterated its commitment to supporting Afghanistan's agricultural sector through cooperation in climate-resilient and bio-fortified crop varieties, sustainable irrigation practices, water harvesting, and watershed development. The minister invited Indian investors and companies to utilize existing opportunities in production, processing, packaging, establishing agricultural value chains, livestock development, water resource management, and the application of modern agricultural technologies through joint investment projects.
The Afghan minister also met Chirag Paswan, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, where discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in food processing through value addition, infrastructure development, technology transfer, capacity building and promotion of bilateral trade in agricultural and food products. According to the MEA, the Afghan minister also met Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, and exchanged views on ongoing bilateral cooperation aimed at supporting the welfare and development of the Afghan people. The discussions centered on value addition, infrastructure development, technology transfer, capacity building and expanding bilateral trade in agricultural and food products, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the agricultural cooperation framework.
The delegation interacted with several key institutions during their visit, including members of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), International Potato Center (CIP), International Fertiliser Development Center (IFDC), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). As reported by the MEA, these interactions aimed to strengthen institutional collaboration and knowledge sharing between the agricultural sectors of both countries, with the latest business engagement session specifically organized to create new opportunities for agricultural development, trade, and investment between the two countries. The visit concluded on July 12, 2026, marking the successful completion of the ministerial engagement.
