NEW DELHI: India will soon restart air cargo services with Afghanistan, a move New Delhi sees as unlocking long-stalled trade channels and giving a renewed fillip to bilateral engagement.

The announcement was made on Friday during the visit of Afghanistan’s Taliban Commerce and Industry Minister, Nooruddin Azizi, who is seeking expanded access to Indian markets as Afghanistan grapples with the closure of its border with Pakistan following military clashes.

Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of External Affairs who oversees the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) division, confirmed that air freight corridors connecting Kabul with Delhi and Amritsar have been “activated”, with cargo flights expected to begin shortly.

“This will significantly enhance connectivity and further strengthen our trade and commercial ties,” he said during an industry interaction organised by PHDCCI. Prakash added that all Indian formalities are complete and the government is awaiting documentation from the Afghan side before flights can commence.

Indian carriers currently do not operate flights to Afghanistan because Pakistan has shut its airspace to them amid heightened India–Pakistan tensions. Afghan carriers, however, continue to operate passenger services to Delhi, making Kabul–Delhi cargo flights feasible.