Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, said that Kazakhstan has agreed to accept their ambassador, marking what he described as a step forward in their diplomatic outreach.
Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ annual report session in Kabul on Wednesday, Muttaqi also listed the appointment of Taliban envoys to Russia, Turkey, and Pakistan over the past year as key achievements.
He praised Russia’s acceptance of the Taliban ambassador as “a rare and significant step” in strengthening ties with regional powers and noted that diplomats had also been introduced to Germany, Norway, India, and Indonesia.
Muttaqi said the Taliban now operate 29 political missions abroad—up from 17 last year—including offices handling passport services. He reiterated their commitment to what he called a “balanced, economy-driven foreign policy” and said the Taliban were ready to engage with all nations based on mutual respect and shared interests.
“We remind all countries that the Islamic Emirate is prepared to engage constructively with the world,” he said, referring to the Taliban’s self-declared government.
According to the Taliban foreign ministry, the Taliban coordinated nearly 100 overseas visits by its delegations last year and hosted officials from neighboring countries, regional powers, the United Nations, and other international organizations.
However, only Russia has formally recognized the Taliban rule, nearly four years after they returned to power. Other governments have withheld recognition, citing conditions such as respect for human rights—especially the rights of women and girls—counterterrorism commitments, and the formation of an inclusive government.
In the same press conference, Muttaqi dismissed global criticism of the Taliban’s human rights record as “pretext and excuse,” claiming that human rights are being upheld in Afghanistan. He referenced civilian casualties under the former Western-backed government, though many of those deaths resulted from Taliban attacks during that period.
His remarks came as Taliban authorities have reportedly detained dozens of women across Kabul in recent weeks for not wearing what the Taliban consider proper Islamic dress or for appearing in public without a male guardian. The Taliban continue to bar women and girls from attending secondary school and university and from working in most sectors.
The event also drew attention for the way it was covered: during the live broadcast of the press conference by the Taliban-run national television station, the voices of at least two female journalists were muted as they posed questions to Muttaqi. The broadcast continued without interruption after the women finished speaking.
The censorship appears to align with a Taliban edict issued last year under the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which labels a woman’s voice as “awrah,” or something to be concealed.
Human rights organizations and Afghan citizens have increasingly criticized international engagement with the Taliban, warning that growing diplomatic contact risks legitimizing a government that systematically excludes women and suppresses dissent.
Despite the Taliban’s assertions of normalcy and openness, they remain internationally isolated, and their claims of progress are met with skepticism by much of the global community.
