Taliban Call for Expansion of Ties with Russia

The purpose of his visit is to inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan's products and to participate in bilateral discussions with Taliban officials.

Prior to the Prime Minister's visit, Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, also travelled to Kabul and engaged in meetings with Taliban representatives.

According to the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, these discussions centred on establishing joint chambers of commerce in Kabul and Tashkent, as well as expanding economic relations between the two nations.

Minister Kudratov also visited the exhibition of Uzbek products in Kabul the day before the Prime Minister's arrival.

While Uzbekistan, like most other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban government, it maintains extensive political and economic ties with the group, particularly in northern Afghanistan.

This marks the first foreign trip by the Taliban Prime Minister since the group's return to power in Afghanistan.

According to a Taliban spokesperson, Mullah Hasan Akhund travelled to the UAE for medical examinations. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited him during this trip.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Zabihullah Mujahid mentioned that the UAE President expressed his country's support for Afghanistan's reconstruction during the meeting. Mullah Hasan Akhund, in turn, emphasised strengthening the brotherly relations between Afghanistan and the UAE.

The Taliban Prime Minister is one of 61 senior Taliban members on the United Nations sanctions list. Sanctioned Taliban officials are allowed to travel with UN authorisation. It remains unclear whether the UN granted permission for this trip.

Mullah Hasan Akhund is known to be reclusive, and few images of him have surfaced in recent months. According to images released by the Taliban, Anas Haqqani, the brother of Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, accompanied him on the trip.

In late June, Sirajuddin Haqqani also made his first official foreign visit to the UAE, where he met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The French government stressed that the country's return to normalcy cannot occur while violence and threats against women persist.

In a statement released on Friday, August 16, the French Foreign Ministry condemned the severe violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan, labelling the Taliban's ban on female education and employment as "unacceptable and unjustifiable”.

The French government reiterated its commitment to using all diplomatic and humanitarian measures to improve the situation for the Afghan people, even three years after the Taliban took control.

Additionally, the French Foreign Ministry accused the Taliban of failing to adhere to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593, highlighting the group's repeated human rights violations and lack of compliance with international obligations.

This statement follows recent remarks by Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, who harshly criticised the Taliban regime for destroying the hopes of millions of Afghan women and girls, effectively confining them to "house arrest”.

However, she once again urged the Taliban to hand over members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to Pakistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly emphasised that TTP militants find safe haven in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

During a press briefing, Baloch reiterated that the Taliban should hand over the militants who have sought refuge in Afghanistan.

General Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, also recently urged the Taliban not to oppose Islamabad by supporting TTP.

Following a surge in deadly attacks in Pakistan, officials in the country have stated that TTP orchestrates these attacks from within Afghanistan. The Taliban, however, claim that no foreign forces are present in Afghanistan.

A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan arrived in Kabul on Thursday, August 15. Following their arrival, a trilateral meeting was also held between officials from the Taliban, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, discussions focused on regional cooperation and the potential re-entry of Afghanistan into the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).

The Taliban also mentioned that during the economic and trade talks with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, agreements were made regarding the trilateral development of transportation, logistics, and mineral sectors.

However, the Taliban have not yet provided details on the agreements signed during these meetings.