The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said it will host a regional meeting of research institutions from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Kabul on Tuesday, as the Taliban seek to deepen engagement with neighboring countries and expand regional economic ties.
According to a statement from the ministry, the meeting will be organized by the Strategic Studies Center of the Foreign Ministry and will bring together heads of research centers, scholars and policy experts from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.
The participating institutions operate under the presidential administrations of their respective countries, the ministry said.
The meeting comes as the Taliban continue to pursue closer political and economic engagement with regional states nearly five years after returning to power in Afghanistan. While no country, except Russia, has formally recognized the Taliban rule, several neighboring countries have expanded diplomatic contacts and economic cooperation with them.
According to the Taliban Foreign Ministry, participants will discuss regional connectivity, stability, trade, energy, transit, investment and broader economic cooperation. They are also expected to review the current state of relations between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries and offer policy recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation.
The ministry said the forum would provide an opportunity for research institutions from across the region to exchange views on shared challenges and opportunities and promote greater coordination.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is scheduled to inaugurate the meeting.
In its statement, the ministry described the gathering as a reflection of the Taliban’s “balanced and economy-centric foreign policy” and said it was intended to strengthen mutual trust and expand economic and transit cooperation with Central Asia and Azerbaijan.
