In a rare and unprecedented development, Tajikistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Saadi Sharifi, visited Afghanistan’s Kunar province and held a meeting with the Taliban-appointed provincial governor, Kudratullah Abu Hamza. The visit marks the first publicly acknowledged contact between a Tajik official and a Taliban representative since the group retook power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The meeting was reported by Bakhtar news agency, widely regarded as the Taliban's official news outlet. Until now, Tajikistani diplomats and officials had avoided any public engagement with Taliban representatives.
According to sources, Ambassador Sharifi’s visit to Kunar was aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to those affected by a recent devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Sharifi expressed condolences on behalf of the Government of Tajikistan to the victims of the disaster. “Tajikistan has sent 3,000 tons of food and essential supplies to Kunar, and more aid is already on the way,” the ambassador stated.
In turn, Kudratullah Abu Hamza thanked the Tajik ambassador for the humanitarian support, describing it as a timely and much-needed gesture.
The aid convoy from Tajikistan arrived in Jalalabad, the administrative center of Nangarhar province, on September 14. The shipment included nine trucks carrying food and non-food items. More than 100 additional trucks of aid from Tajikistan are reportedly en route to Afghanistan.
The earthquake, which struck eastern Afghanistan earlier this month, claimed the lives of over 2,200 people, left thousands injured, and rendered many homeless. A large proportion of the casualties were women and children who, due to strict restrictions imposed by the Taliban, had limited access to emergency assistance and medical care.
This is not the first time Tajikistan has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan during times of crisis, highlighting its ongoing concern for the humanitarian situation in the neighboring country.
Who is Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan?
The name of Tajikistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan re-emerged in the public domain for the first time in four years following the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country. Saadi Sharifi (referred to by Bakhtar news agency as Jafar Saidi) was appointed as Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan in September 2020.
After the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, most foreign embassies and consulates suspended their operations. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later clarified to Asia-Plus that its embassy in Kabul continued to operate in a limited capacity. However, there had been no official reports regarding Ambassador Sharifi's activities in Kabul until now.
While overseeing the aid distribution in Kunar, Sharifi gave an interview to Afghanistan International, stating: “Tajikistan has always supported the vision of a prosperous, safe Afghanistan — free from narcotics and extremist groups, a country that is truly free.”
Shortly after the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in September 2021, Sharifi, citing President Emomali Rahmon, reiterated Tajikistan’s official position: the country advocates for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
“Tajikistan supports a government that respects women’s rights, individual freedoms, and the rights of ethnic groups — particularly Tajiks, who make up over 46% of the Afghan population,” Sharifi emphasized.
Tajikistan maintains firm stance: no recognition of Taliban rule
Despite humanitarian engagements, Tajikistan has not recognized the Taliban government. Dushanbe continues to call for the establishment of an inclusive administration in Kabul. Until now, Tajik officials have avoided any high-level meetings with senior Taliban representatives, though there have been unconfirmed reports of closed-door talks.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe still operates under the authority of the former Islamic Republic’s appointed ambassador. However, Taliban sources claim that the Afghan consulate in the Tajik city of Khorog is now under their control.
Despite political tensions, trade and electricity exports between Tajikistan and Afghanistan continue uninterrupted.
The Taliban, who retook control of Kabul in the summer of 2021 after decades of conflict with the U.S. and its allies, have now been in power for four years, having formed their own government that remains internationally unrecognized by most countries, including Tajikistan.
