A five-member delegation from the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has traveled to Austria for talks on Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions and consular services in Europe, according to sources familiar with the trip.
The delegation is expected to meet with Austrian officials from the foreign and interior ministries, the sources said, to discuss the status of Afghanistan’s embassies in Europe and how to provide consular services to Afghan citizens living in Austria and other European countries.
Neither the Austrian government nor Taliban authorities have publicly commented on the visit.
If confirmed, the trip would mark the first official visit by Taliban foreign ministry officials to Austria since their return to power in 2021.
The Taliban remain internationally isolated and unrecognized as Afghanistan’s government, though some countries allow limited engagement on technical and humanitarian issues. Afghan embassies abroad are divided, with some still run by diplomats appointed under the previous government and others claimed by Taliban-appointed envoys, creating uncertainty for millions of Afghans in the diaspora who rely on consular services.
