The Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, has proposed that Afghanistan host the next Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Kabul, stating that the Taliban is fully prepared to organise the 18th round of the regional gathering.
Speaking at the 17th ECO Summit on Friday, 5 July, Baradar called on member states to recognise the “political reality of Afghanistan” and to follow Russia’s lead in recognising the Taliban government.
Baradar urged ECO countries to strengthen cooperation with Afghanistan in trade, investment, energy, transportation, agriculture, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation. “The economies of ECO member countries can only reach optimal growth when Afghanistan is an active and dynamic part of the equation,” he said.
Meeting with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister
On the sidelines of the summit, Baradar held talks with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan to discuss expanding political, economic, and trade relations. He described Kazakhstan as a key and reliable regional partner.
According to Taliban officials, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister pledged $500 million in investment for the Torghundi–Herat railway project and expressed interest in increasing fruit imports from Afghanistan and investing in the country’s mining sector.
ECO member states include Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The Taliban’s growing engagement with ECO leaders follows Russia’s recent decision to formally recognise the Taliban government, signalling a broader push by the group for regional legitimacy and economic integration.
