Five years on, Taliban broadens diplomatic ties
Nearly five years after returning to power, Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have expanded working relations with regional and European governments, although Russia remains the only country to formally recognize their rule.
Formal recognition remains limited by concerns over the rights of women and girls. Trade, security and migration, however, have drawn a growing number of governments into direct contact with Kabul.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the government “seeks relations with all countries,” with neighboring states taking priority because Afghanistan’s economic interests are closely tied to the region.
Kabul has hosted envoys from China, Japan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Britain. Officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also met in the Afghan capital in April as Central Asian governments pursued trade routes through Afghanistan to ports farther south.
