Afghanistan–Saudi Joint Economic Commission to Be Reactivated, Says Taliban

He argued that the country had previously been divided along political, ethnic, regional and linguistic lines.

Baradar made the remarks on Thursday during a ceremony marking the start of construction on the Kabul–Bagram road. He described Afghanistan’s political, ethnic and linguistic diversity as “meaningless divisions” and a “problem,” saying the Taliban is seeking to eliminate such differences.

International organisations, however, have accused the Taliban of establishing a largely mono-ethnic and male-dominated government. The United Nations, the European Union and several countries have repeatedly urged the Taliban to form an inclusive administration representing Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic groups and social segments, while respecting human rights.

Baradar said the Taliban had taken a “fundamental step” towards what he called a unified Islamic and national vision by standardising the school curriculum for madrassas and public schools up to sixth grade.

In one of his final reports of 2025, Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said the Taliban’s failure to address grievances risked increasing tensions with ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also reported that the Taliban cabinet is composed almost entirely of members of a single ethnic group.

The Taliban have also faced accusations of imposing “gender apartheid” by excluding women from public life.

Call for Engagement

Baradar urged Afghans to “stop blindly imitating others” and not to be influenced by external narratives, according to a statement from his office, though he did not elaborate.

“We have not prevented anyone, nor is the capacity of the Islamic Emirate so limited that it would treat every individual and minor issue as serious,” Baradar said. “Afghanistan is the home of Afghans, and every individual can live here in peace and return to the country.”

Addressing regional and global countries, Baradar emphasised the importance of constructive engagement with Afghanistan. The international community has set conditions for engagement with the Taliban, including respect for human rights and international law, the formation of an inclusive government and action against terrorism.

He said countries are interdependent in areas such as geography, airspace, labour, raw materials, exports and imports, adding that these needs can be met when states “have the courage to engage within the framework of official relations, which is in everyone’s interest.”

Kabul–Bagram Road Project

Baradar also inaugurated construction work on the Kabul–Bagram road on Thursday. According to his office, the road will be 6.2 kilometres long and about 50 metres wide, with an estimated cost of 455 million afghanis funded by the Taliban administration.

He said the project would improve connectivity between Kabul, Parwan province and other northern provinces.

Sadiq Khan said in a post on X that the meeting focused on what he described as “cross-border terrorism” and broader regional security challenges posed by militant groups based in Afghanistan.

Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, and Malick Ceesay, head of UNAMA’s office in Islamabad, attended the meeting.

According to Sadiq Khan, the talks also covered the human rights situation in Afghanistan, recent security developments, trade and wider regional issues.

Sharing a photograph of the meeting on Thursday, he wrote that participants emphasised “the importance of ensuring that Afghan soil is not used against any country” and stressed the need for coordinated regional and international efforts to address shared security threats.

A statement from the Pakistani representative said the meeting highlighted continued engagement and cooperation to promote stability, humanitarian collaboration, counterterrorism coordination and sustainable economic development in the region.

Representatives of the United Nations and Pakistan also discussed the human rights situation in Afghanistan during a separate meeting the previous day.

During the meeting on Thursday in Kabul, Muttaqi said the Taliban has a strong commitment to strengthening relations with Tajikistan and that no one would be allowed to harm what he described as “friendly relations” between the two sides.

Muttaqi said shared cultural and linguistic ties between the two countries could help expand cooperation at all levels, particularly in political, economic and trade sectors.

Border Cooperation & Economic Plans

According to a statement from the Taliban Foreign Ministry, the Tajik ambassador said Dushanbe has significant cross-border economic plans and projects aimed at strengthening cooperation with the Taliban administration.

The statement said Sharifi added that Tajikistan, in light of current realities, is seeking to expand relations with Kabul.

Both sides also discussed convening a joint economic committee, strengthening border-security cooperation and coordinating plans between the Taliban and Tajik foreign ministries for the upcoming solar Hijri year.

The talks on border cooperation come as Tajik authorities report ongoing security concerns along the frontier. Dushanbe has said 17 armed clashes occurred along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border last year.

Zafar Samad, head of Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency, has also said the volume of narcotics seized along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border increased in 2025, reaching 2,742 kilograms.

During a meeting with Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s acting minister of commerce, Azizi called on Iran to offer special discounts on oil and gas supplies to Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, Mousavi also met Abdul Rahman Qanit, the Taliban’s deputy minister of mines.

In a statement, the Taliban Ministry of Commerce said the Iranian official expressed Tehran’s readiness to expand exports of petroleum products and liquefied gas to Afghanistan. He also said Iran was prepared to cooperate in strengthening the technical capacity of staff working in Afghan refineries.

Azizi, in turn, stressed the importance of maintaining the quality of Iranian petroleum products exported to Afghanistan and urged Tehran to reduce prices and provide special concessions for Afghan buyers. He also called for greater facilitation of transit routes for petroleum products and liquefied gas passing through Iran to Afghanistan.

Qanit said the Taliban administration was interested in improving the technical capacity of refinery workers and upgrading the quality of domestic refineries.

Mining investment

According to Taliban officials, Mousavi said Iranian private companies and investors are interested in investing in the exploration, extraction and processing of Afghanistan’s mineral resources.

He also said Iran was ready to train Afghan engineers in oil and gas, refining and solid-minerals industries.

Qanit said the Taliban would provide additional facilities to attract investment from Iranian companies.

Iran remains one of Afghanistan’s main fuel suppliers. Although Afghanistan has significant reserves of copper, iron, lithium and precious stones, a lack of infrastructure, international sanctions and the absence of formal recognition of the Taliban have made attracting foreign investment difficult.

Mohammad Sadiq wrote on X on Wednesday that he had discussed human rights developments and security issues with Richard Bennett.

Bennett recently travelled to Pakistan to attend the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, where he met a number of officials and institutions. At the event, he warned about the consequences of deporting migrants to Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan should adhere to its international obligations and refrain from forcibly returning people at risk. Islamabad, however, continues to detain thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants each day despite such calls.