Latest news with #AmirKhanMuttaqi
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Moscow accepts Taliban ambassador
Russia has officially accepted the Taliban's nomination of an ambassador to Moscow, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as economic and political ties grow between the two sanctions-hit nations. Russia in April suspended its ban on the Taliban in a move that paved the way for Moscow to normalise ties with the leadership of Afghanistan. No country has formally recognised the Taliban's government, which took over the country in 2021 as US-led forces withdrew. "We hope this new phase will allow both countries to expand cooperation in various fields," said Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's acting foreign minister, in a statement. China in 2023 became the first country to accept a diplomat at ambassador level from the Taliban and several countries have since followed, including Pakistan which announced it would upgrade the position this week. Diplomats say formally presenting ambassadorial credentials to a foreign head of state signals a step towards recognition.
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan, Afghanistan push ahead with UAP rail project
ISLAMABAD: In a bold bid to reshape the geopolitics of Central and South Asia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi dialled in a high-stakes phone call on Sunday to push forward the game-changing Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line project. The proposed 573-kilometer rail link, stretching from Tashkent through Kabul to Peshawar and connecting to Gwadar and Karachi ports, carries a projected cost of $4.8 billion. It is poised to serve as a vital artery linking Central Asia's landlocked economies to international markets, potentially turbo charging economic ties and fostering deeper regional connectivity. According to a statement from Foreign Office, the two ministers agreed on the urgency of finalizing the framework agreement swiftly for the UAP Railway project, reflecting a shared commitment to cementing this infrastructure vision. The dialogue follows Dar's recent conversation with Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich to coordinate final details for the project's forthcoming signing ceremony. Pakistan, Russia, CARs: meeting on UAP rail plan likely on April 23-24 Beyond infrastructure, the phone call underscored a parallel diplomatic thaw. Afghanistan's Amir Khan Muttaqi welcomed Pakistan's recent move to elevate its diplomatic mission in Kabul from chargé d'affaires to ambassador level – a gesture Kabul has pledged to reciprocate by upgrading its envoy in Islamabad. Both countries have been maintaining embassies headed by chargés d'affaires, a reflection of strained ties over decades marked by mistrust and conflict. 'This is a very positive development,' Muttaqi said, framing the diplomatic upgrade as a milestone in the 'brotherly countries'' evolving relationship. The mutual embassies' upgrade follows similar steps by China, the first nation to accept an ambassador from the Taliban-led government, and the UAE, signalling a cautious but tangible international shift towards engagement with Afghanistan's new regime. Both the ministers also reviewed progress on a slate of agreements from Dar's April visit to Kabul, reaffirming their commitment to fostering mutual trust and cooperation in a region historically fraught with geopolitical volatility. As Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan move forward with this massive rail project and diplomatic rapprochement, the moves may herald a new chapter of connectivity and stability in a part of the world long challenged by division and uncertainty. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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First Post
12 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to advance Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan rail project, boost regional ties
Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday agreed to advance a vital railway line project, considered a key step for regional connectivity. read more Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to move forward with the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway line project, a key step toward enhancing regional connectivity, the Pakistani Foreign Office said Sunday. The agreement was reached during a phone call between Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Both leaders emphasized the importance of the project and committed to working closely to finalize the framework agreement soon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The development follows Pakistan's May 30 announcement to upgrade diplomatic relations with Kabul to the ambassador level, a move Afghanistan has agreed to reciprocate, according to the Foreign Office. The UAP rail project aims to improve trade and transport links across Central and South Asia, fostering economic cooperation and stability in the region. Both leaders also reviewed implementation of decisions taken during DPM/FM's visit to Kabul on April 19 and vowed to continue working together to establish mutual trust between the two brotherly nations. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan had come under stress after Islamabad accused Kabul of sheltering Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists. Observers opine that the ties are apparently improving due to efforts of China, which is using a trilateral mechanism involving the foreign ministers of the three countries to sort out differences. The railway project to link Pakistan with Central Asia through Afghanistan is an important project to improve interconnectivity in the region. Dar's interaction with Muttaqi comes a day after he held a telephone conversation with Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich on Saturday. 'They discussed the modalities for early finalisation of the framework agreement for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project, including details of its signing ceremony in consultation with leadership of Afghanistan,' the foreign office said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Deccan Herald
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to advance key railway project
The agreement to advance the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) rail project came during a telephonic conversation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Asharq Al-Awsat
14 hours ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Russia Accepts Taliban's Nominated Ambassador to Moscow
Russia has officially accepted the Taliban's nomination of an ambassador to Moscow, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as economic and political ties grow between the two sanctions-hit nations. Russia in April suspended its ban on the Taliban, which it had designated for more than two decades as a terrorist organization, in a move that paved the way for Moscow to normalize ties with the leadership of Afghanistan. No country has formally recognized the Taliban's government, which took over the country in 2021 as US-led forces withdrew. "We hope this new phase will allow both countries to expand cooperation in various fields," said Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's acting foreign minister, in a statement. China in 2023 became the first country to accept a diplomat at ambassador level from the Taliban and several countries have since followed, including Pakistan which announced it would upgrade the position this week. Diplomats say formally presenting ambassadorial credentials to a foreign head of state signals a step towards recognition.
