Delegations from Uzbekistan and the Taliban met in Kabul to discuss what an Uzbek official described as “strategic objectives,” underscoring continued engagement between Tashkent and the Taliban.
Javlon Vakhabov, head of the Strategic Studies Center at Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry, said he led a delegation that met with counterparts from the Strategic Studies Center of the Taliban-run Foreign Ministry.
The Taliban delegation was headed by Abdulhai Qanit, the Taliban-appointed head of the center, according to Vakhabov.
Writing on X, Vakhabov said the two sides discussed cooperation between their research institutions to advance a joint agenda for partnership between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan and to give it “substantive content.” He said the talks also covered ways to increase public awareness of current developments in both countries and the broader region, including through efforts to strengthen understanding, shift perceptions and promote practical steps.
Vakhabov said he hoped the long-term strategic objectives discussed at the meeting would translate into concrete initiatives in the coming year. He did not elaborate on the substance of those objectives.
The Taliban have not publicly commented on the meeting.
Uzbekistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan, has maintained relatively close ties with the Taliban since their return to power. While Tashkent has not formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, Uzbek officials have made repeated visits to Kabul in recent years, and Uzbekistan has accepted a Taliban-appointed ambassador.
