By Asad Mirza
Since 2021, seizing power yet again after a gap of 20 years, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers were termed as ‘pariahs’ and shunned by the international community, but recently the hard-line militants have notched up some big wins in their diplomatic efforts to forge international ties.
Coming back to power in Afghanistan after a 20 years period, following the hasty withdrawal of American forces from the country, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers or the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is witnessing a renewed interest in the country. During the last four years, old friends like Pakistan have become foes and old foes like Russia have become friends, in a diplomatic teeter.
Last week, India’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Anand Prakash was in Kabul for talks with senior Taliban leaders on boosting political and trade links. Meanwhile, a Taliban delegation was in talks with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Tashkent to talk about a proposed trans-Afghan rail link.
Except China, no other country has formally recognised the Taliban regime, yet. The militant rulers have been broadly criticised for widespread human rights violations, particularly against women and girls. But things are moving toward in Taliban’s favour in international circles.
China became the first country to accept a Taliban-appointed ambassador in January 2024. It has been edging talks forward on infrastructure and investment as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
On Friday, May 2, in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, announced that Moscow is prepared to collaborate with the Taliban in combating the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-Khorasan.
Russia has been targeted by several ISIS-related attacks in recent months, with the deadliest being a shooting at a concert hall near Moscow in March 2024, which resulted in the deaths of 145 people. These incidents have prompted Russia to increase its focus on counterterrorism efforts, both domestically and internationally.
Russian officials have repeatedly expressed their readiness to cooperate with the Taliban in various sectors, signalling a shift in Moscow’s approach to Afghanistan.
Notably, Russia recently removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations, a significant step that further indicates the Kremlin’s willingness to engage with the Taliban, despite not officially recognising the group as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.
Russia has also been seeking to develop economic interests in Afghanistan, especially in the mining and energy sectors. It did, in fact, kept its embassy in Kabul open, merely downgrading it in name after the Taliban seized power.
Reportedly, Russian and Taliban representatives are expected to sign a contract transitioning 50 million cubic meters of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) at the Kazan Forum in May 2025. This would be aimed at markets in South and Southeast Asia.
Taliban’s relations with its southern neighbour are currently strained, as Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants from Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP). It says its army had killed 54 fighters “trying to infiltrate” across the border on April 27. In fact, right after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, tensions have been high on both sides on the border issue.
Pakistan has deported some 100,000 Afghan refugees in recent weeks, accusing them of being linked to terrorism and drug smuggling. These tensions give an added security dynamic to India’s attempts to warm ties with Afghanistan, as it faces a stand-off with Pakistan following the deadly militant attack in Kashmir on April 22.
Western powers have been the most strident in distancing themselves from the Taliban, following the withdrawal of their forces in 2021. They have also been the most outspoken in their criticism of the Taliban’s human rights abuses.
But here, too, there’s movement. According to Khaama news agency, a British government report in March said it was pursuing a policy of “limited and pragmatic” engagement with Taliban officials via its embassy in Qatar.
The incoming German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has called for direct talks with the Taliban leadership to enable deportations of Afghans. A foreign policy spokesman for his Christian Democrats, Juergen Hardt, told RFE/RL in February “the truth is that they are in power.”
US officials have already held direct talks. Last month, they were in Kabul to secure the release of Americans held there. In return, Washington lifted the bounties on three members of the Haqqani network, including the Taliban’s interior minister.
In the meanwhile, the Taliban have brought a degree of stability to the economy, despite the hardships poor Afghans face, particularly the women and children. Taliban’s track record regarding women has been poor so far, however, key indicators have turned around, with improvements in export volumes, government revenues and the strength of the national currency, the Afghani. The Afghani collapsed against the dollar right after the Taliban seized power but the new authorities propped it up by banning transactions in foreign banknotes, among other measures, says Graeme Smith, a Senior Analyst with Brussels-based International Crisis Group, in one of his reports.
In addition to better management of customs and regular collection of taxes, the Taliban has also paid serious attention to the agriculture sector. Because the Taliban know very well that agriculture forms the pillar of Afghanistan’s economy.
In fact, Taliban have augmented use of 15 irrigation canals in Herat Valley and started the construction of 6 more canals, an area well known for agriculture in the country.
On the other hand, the Taliban have tried to create job opportunities in some areas, especially in the construction and agricultural sectors. Also, employing domestic labour in development projects has been one of their methods to reduce unemployment.
As per a report published by an Afghan website Tahilroz, Afghanistan has a high potential for economic growth with rich resources of minerals (such as lithium, copper, iron, etc.). In order to exploit these resources, the Taliban have started several internal contracts and even some informal negotiations with foreign companies.
In the field of infrastructure, the Taliban have invested in the reconstruction and improvement of roads, bridges and communication routes. Due to the financial limitations, the Taliban have worked on small and manageable projects, and in some areas, they have also carried out reconstructions, which have had positive effects, especially for rural areas.
In the health sector, the Taliban have tried to improve health services by increasing access to health services and promoting prevention and vaccination programmes.
To gain more international acceptance, based on its strategic location and mineral resources, Taliban must reconsider its policies and general positions and pay attention to the demands of the Afghan people, to consolidate its power base in the country. (IPA Service)
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