Taliban Holds International Conference on Economic Cooperation

The Taliban in the self-proclaimed Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan continues to break international isolation. On Tuesday, January 30, in the capital Kabul, 10 countries of Greater Eurasia participated in an international conference dedicated to the development of economic and trade cooperation in the region. The conference, chaired by Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, was attended by delegations from Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, as well as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.

In his opening speech, Muttaqi said that “cooperation in this Greater Eurasia region should be based primarily on the concept of common benefits” and emphasized the Taliban government’s “positive and constructive” commitment to combat “existing and potential threats” in the region.

Over the past two years, the Taliban government has implemented many initiatives directed at addressing the consequences of the twenty-year presence of the U.S.-led military coalition, as well as to normalize daily life in Afghanistan. Much has been done to stimulate the development of trade-related sectors. The fight against drug trafficking was launched: in 2022, the Taliban completely banned opium poppy cultivation in the country, after which, according to UN estimates, the area under cultivation fell from 233,000 hectares to just 10,000.

In his remarks, the Afghan diplomatic chief emphasized the need to “multiply efforts” to restore connectivity between the countries in the region: “The Afghan government is pursuing an economy-oriented foreign policy that relies on regional connectivity, which makes it possible to work together for common interests and fight threats together,” Muttaqi said.