Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Tuesday that the threat posed by ISIS’s regional affiliate remains a shared concern for the Taliban administration and Central Asian countries, pledging cooperation with neighboring states to address security challenges.
Speaking at a meeting of strategic studies centers and think tanks from Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Kabul, Muttaqi said the Taliban administration and regional governments face common security concerns, including the threat from ISIS.
“The threat of Daesh is a shared concern,” Muttaqi said, adding that measures had already been taken to counter the group and that the Taliban remained ready to cooperate with regional countries on security issues.
The comments came during a regional forum attended by representatives from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, where discussions focused on regional cooperation, connectivity and security.
Concerns about ISIS-Khorasan, the Islamic State affiliate operating in Afghanistan, have remained a recurring issue in relations between the Taliban and regional governments. Central Asian countries have repeatedly warned about the potential threat posed by extremist groups based in Afghanistan, while seeking greater security cooperation with Kabul.
The UN has also reported the continued presence of ISIS-K in Afghanistan. In recent assessments, UN monitors have warned that the group retains the capacity to recruit fighters, conduct attacks and maintain networks both inside Afghanistan and across the region.
Those concerns were echoed recently by Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service, who said ISIS was actively recruiting in Afghanistan and continued to pose a threat to regional security.
At the Kabul forum, Muttaqi also emphasized the importance of regional cooperation beyond security matters, arguing that ongoing conflicts in the broader region have disrupted trade, transportation, food supplies and energy markets.
He said research institutions and policy centers could play a greater role in promoting regional convergence by providing practical solutions to shared challenges.
The conference was organized by the Strategic Studies Center of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry. Muttaqi said the event is part of a broader effort by the Taliban to strengthen ties with neighboring countries and expand economic and transit cooperation despite its continued lack of international recognition.
