Latest news with #Kabul
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia accepts Taliban's nominated ambassador to Moscow
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar KABUL (Reuters) -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 organisation, 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 U.S.-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.
Reuters
20 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Russia accepts Taliban's nominated ambassador to Moscow
KABUL, June 1 (Reuters) - 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 organisation, 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 U.S.-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.
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish ‘mutual trust' amid improving bilateral ties
ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday agreed to continue working to establish 'mutual trust' between the two nations, Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement, amid recent improvement in ties between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan and Afghanistan this week agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations, with Islamabad announcing it would elevate its chargé d'affaires in Kabul to ambassadorial rank. Kabul said it would reciprocate the move. Ties between the two countries have been tense in recent years, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan's Taliban administration of harboring militants involved in cross-border attacks, leading to a deportation drive against undocumented Afghan nationals. Kabul has criticized Pakistan's deportation drive and denied its nationals are involved in crimes on Pakistani soil. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the phone to discuss diplomatic relations between the two countries on Sunday. Muttaqi, according to Pakistan's foreign office, informed Dar that Afghanistan has decided to reciprocate Islamabad's gesture to upgrade diplomatic relations to the ambassador level, terming it a 'very positive development.' 'Both leaders also reviewed the implementation of decisions taken during DPM/FM's visit to Kabul on 19 April 2025 and vowed to continue working together to establish mutual trust between the two brotherly nations,' the Pakistani foreign office said. Efforts to ease tensions between the two countries also gained momentum in recent months. During a trilateral meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing in May, Pakistan and Afghanistan had announced plans to exchange ambassadors. Afghan authorities said this week Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan 'in the coming days.' The two officials also spoke about the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project. Dar spoke to his Uzbek counterpart on Saturday to discuss the UAP, including the framework agreement and its signing mechanism. 'Emphasizing the importance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project for regional connectivity, both leaders agreed to work closely for an early finalization of the framework agreement,' the foreign office said. The UAP railway is a trilateral initiative aimed at enhancing regional connectivity by linking Central Asia with Pakistan's southern ports of Gwadar and Karachi through Afghanistan. Envisioned in 2021, the project is expected to improve trade access for landlocked countries and bolster economic integration in the region.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Afghanistan, Pakistan upgrade ties amid diplomatic thaw
Afghanistan welcomed the decision to upgrade ties with Pakistan to the ambassador's level, Kabul's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's office said on Saturday. "This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains," the Afghan Foreign Ministry posted on X. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the... — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Afghanistan (@MoFA_Afg) May 31, 2025 Relations between the two neighbors have long been strained over Islamabad's accusations that Kabul harbors Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan's attempts to deport tens of thousands of Afghans have also contributed to bilateral tensions. On Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the charge d'affaires in Kabul would be elevated to the rank of ambassador. He also said that their relations are "on [a] positive trajectory" since he visited Afghanistan in April. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025. To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé… — Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 30, 2025 Later, Kabul announced that it would reciprocate the move. The decision came after Muttaqi met with Dar and their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a trilateral meeting in Beijing earlier this month. After their talks, Wang expressed Beijing's willingness "to continue to assist with improving Afghanistan-Pakistan ties." Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan "in the coming days," ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal told AFP news agency. Since Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, only a handful of countries have agreed to host Taliban government ambassadors. No country has officially recognized the administration. Edited by: Wesley Dockery
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Afghanistan welcomes upgraded diplomatic ties with neighbouring Pakistan
Afghanistan has welcomed an upgrade in its diplomatic ties with Pakistan, signalling an easing of tensions between the South Asian neighbours. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said the charge d'affaires stationed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, would be elevated to the rank of ambassador, with Afghanistan's Taliban government later announcing its representative in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, would also be upgraded. A charge d'affaires serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. 'This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan [and] Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains,' the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X on Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan 'in the coming days', the ministry spokesman, Zia Ahmad Takal, said. Only a handful of countries – including China – have agreed to host Taliban government ambassadors since their return to power in 2021, with no country yet formally recognising the administration. Pakistan is the fourth country to designate an ambassador to Kabul, after China, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. Russia last month said it would also accredit a Taliban government ambassador, days after removing the group's 'terrorist' designation. For the past few months, relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been rocky over security concerns and a campaign by Islamabad to expel tens of thousands of Afghan refugees. Islamabad says armed groups which launch attacks inside Pakistan use Afghan soil. Kabul denies the allegation, saying such violence is Pakistan's domestic problem to handle. However, Foreign Minister Dar on Friday said relations between the two nations have improved since he visited Kabul last month. Last week, he also met Muttaqi and their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during a trilateral meeting in Beijing. Following that meeting, China said it will 'continue to assist with improving Afghanistan-Pakistan ties'.
