Kabul — Uzbekistan has accepted an ambassador from Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, Kabul’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, a rare diplomatic triumph for the internationally isolated government.
The ambassador to Tashkent is only the third to be accredited abroad since the Taliban seized power in 2021, joining a pair already recognised in China and the United Arab Emirates.
No foreign country has yet officially recognised the Taliban government since it ousted the Western-backed administration and imposed an austere interpretation of Islamic law.
IEA ambassador presented a copy of his letter of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
On October 9, 2024, Sheikh Abdul Ghafar Bahr formally presented a copy of his letter of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Mr. Bakhtiyor Saidov. pic.twitter.com/S3xnvcyLw3
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) October 10, 2024
But three years into their rule they are making diplomatic inroads – appearing for the first time at UN-brokered talks this summer and reaching out to neighbouring nations emphasising economic cooperation.
The envoy named to Uzbekistan was Abdul Ghafar Bahr, who formerly served as a judicial official in southern Kandahar province and Kabul.
At a ceremony where his credentials were accepted on Wednesday, “Bahr described the upgradation of bilateral relations as a pivotal phase, hoping for further progress”, Taliban government foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi wrote in a post on X.
Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov said on the social media site the countries “share a common history and interests of prosperity that serve as an impetus for the development of cooperation ties in all areas”.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@QaharBalkhi
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