The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that a visiting high‑level Tajik delegation held discussions with acting Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul, focusing on “strengthening and expanding cooperation in diplomacy and economics.”
The meeting marked the first formal visit to Afghanistan by Tajikistan’s government since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.
Sources within the Taliban foreign ministry told Amu TV that the delegation included representatives from Tajikistan’s security, intelligence and foreign affairs agencies, and that additional meetings are planned with other members of the Taliban leadership.
According to the statement, Muttaqi emphasized that they are committed to developing “good‐neighborly relations with the Republic of Tajikistan” and said ties between “the two countries” are evolving across multiple sectors. Tajik officials, in turn, pledged to “enhance bilateral relations and deepen cooperation with Afghanistan,” said the statement.
The delegation is consisted of various senior government officials, including the first deputy commander of the border forces under Tajikistan’s National Security Committee, a special envoy from the foreign ministry, senior border officials, and regional representatives from the Badakhshan province, said sources.
Analysts believe the visit signals a shift in Tajikistan’s Afghanistan strategy, driven by border security concerns, arms and narcotics trafficking, and growing instability. For years, Dushanbe had maintained a cautious stance toward the Taliban, leaving its embassy in Kabul closed and refusing to transfer the Afghan diplomatic mission in Dushanbe to Taliban control.
Last month, Taliban Balkh governor Yusuf Wafa visited Tajikistan, meeting with officials in Dushanbe. Tajikistan’s defense minister also traveled recently to Pakistan to discuss regional security and Afghanistan’s future.
While the Taliban insist Afghanistan will not be used for attacks on neighbors, Islamabad and Central Asian governments continue to voice concerns.
