Dar made the remarks during a meeting in Kabul with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting interior minister. According to a statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, the talks focused on three key issues: regional security, counter-narcotics efforts, and the development of cross-border economic initiatives.
Dar stressed that sustainable regional growth cannot be achieved without addressing security threats and improving coordination at the borders. He also highlighted the importance of closer security cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The meeting coincided with the signing of a feasibility study agreement for the Trans-Afghan railway project, a joint initiative between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. Officials from all three countries have stated that the success of the railway, intended to boost regional trade and connectivity, depends on long-term stability along the proposed transit routes.
In a separate meeting, Haqqani met with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and Transport Minister Ilhom Makhkamov to discuss progress on the railway project. The Taliban’s Interior Ministry said the two sides also explored ways to expand political, economic, and cultural ties between Kabul and Tashkent.
Saidov noted that trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan has nearly tripled over the past year. He also reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s support for Afghanistan’s participation in international forums, assistance in resolving the Afghan migrant crisis, and efforts to unfreeze the country’s central bank assets.