KABUL - An agreement was signed on Tuesday between the Afghan Commerce and Industries Ministry and Kazakhstan' Emergency Situation Ministry on expanding trade ties between the two countries, an official said.
Wheat and flour would be imported in large quantity to Afghanistan under the agreement, Minister of Commerce and Industries Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi said. Most of the stuff would be imported by the private sector, he added.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Afghanistan produced 3.2 million tones of wheat this year -- two tones less than the annual requirement of the landlocked country.
Kazakhstan was asked to provide 500,000 tones of fuels to Afghanistan, with the visiting minister promising to discuss the demand with the department concerned, Ahadi said.

Both sides agreed to hold a trade meeting of trade representatives from the two countries in Kazakhstan next year. Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Carpochbashko said wheat production in his country was very high. The surplus will be exported to Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan had allocated $50 million for training of Afghan government officials, he announced. Work is in progress on a railroad between the two countries.