Although five months after the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, no country has yet recognized the group, apparently the leader of the Islamic Emirate is trying to collude with countries in the region to prevent the current humanitarian crisis. In the latest case, the media reported on the visit of high-ranking Taliban officials to Uzbekistan. They stressed that the two sides had agreed to strengthen bilateral relations, especially in the infrastructure sector. In contrast, previously, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, Minister of Defense of the Islamic Emirate, had called on Uzbekistan to return all helicopters and planes of the Afghan Army to the Islamic Emirate of Taliban soon. Otherwise, the group would take retaliatory action; he stressed that he would never wait. Do not let the neighboring countries test the patience of the Islamic Emirate.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate announced that their high-level delegation had met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The TAPI project will be launched in March this year. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi tweeted that Acting Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi headed a high-level delegation to Turkmenistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Mardov to discuss economic and security cooperation. According to Balkhi, the meeting focused on bilateral diplomatic and economic relations, security cooperation, the start of TAPI and TAP projects as soon as possible, the growth of trade, and the private sector’s activities.

 

During the meeting, it was emphasized that a meeting on the TAPI project would be held in Kabul in the 22nd month of this year and that the work on the TAPI project and the extension of the railway will be inaugurated in March of this year. The meeting also agreed to increase exports of marble, fresh and dried fruits, as well as to complete railway projects in Aqina and Turghandi, and to invest in solar and wind power. During the meeting, which lasted a full day, important issues such as political and security cooperation were also discussed between the two sides. Meanwhile, dozens of students trapped in the Corona epidemic in Afghanistan have been promised a gradual return to Turkmenistan since early March.

 

Turkmenistan has also agreed to provide scholarships for Afghan students in the oil and gas, railway, and other technical sectors. According to Balkhi, the meeting also decided to use Afghanistan as a transit route between Central and South Asia and to transfer liquid natural gas, minerals, food, and other commercial property through this route. A delegation from the Islamic Emirate headed by Amir Khan Mottaqi arrived in Ashqabat two days ago to meet with Turkmen officials.