Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for economic affairs, met Wednesday with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov to discuss potential trade, transit, and economic cooperation between the two countries, according to Azerbaijani state media.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), hosted in the city of Khankendi. According to a statement from Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers, both sides emphasized the value of Azerbaijan’s regional infrastructure and energy initiatives for all ECO member states.
APA News reported that the two delegations expressed shared interest in expanding collaboration in commercial transport, humanitarian assistance, and regional development.
Among the topics discussed was the prospect of trilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan — a proposal that appears aimed at integrating Afghanistan more deeply into Central Asia’s trade and logistics networks.
Baradar arrived in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, July 1, to lead a Taliban delegation at the ECO summit, which convened heads of state and senior officials from member countries on July 2 and 3.
Azerbaijan has been a member of ECO since 1992 and has played a growing role in regional economic and transit projects.
