The Ambassador of Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Said Sharifi, while speaking at a meeting in Kabul on April 5, indirectly thanked the security forces of the Taliban movement for ensuring security at the Tajik-Afghan border. This was reported by BBC citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban government.
In the “Consultative Dialogue of Afghanistan and Central Asia” — the first forum of its kind since 2021, initiated by Kabul — diplomats from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan participated.
Citing data from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BBC wrote that the Tajik ambassador “considers security in Afghanistan one of the priorities of his country’s foreign policy.”
The official authorities of Tajikistan have not yet commented on these statements.
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the purpose of the meeting is to strengthen political dialogue and diplomatic coordination, as well as to seek new cooperation opportunities in the areas of economy, transport, and regional integration.
The head of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaki, expressed hope that as a result of the meeting, a “roadmap” for comprehensive cooperation between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries in the political, economic, security, and environmental spheres will be developed.
According to him, by 2025, the volume of trade between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries is expected to reach 2.7 billion dollars, and in the coming years, the parties aim to increase it to 10 billion dollars.
Muttaki also noted the common challenges for the region — security threats, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and climate change — and called on countries to work together to address them.
He emphasized that Afghanistan shares a common border with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, which stretches 2329 kilometers, and cooperation to enhance security and border management will continue.
The meeting also discussed major regional projects, including TAPI, CASA-1000, and “Afghan-Trans”.
Afghan authorities reported that 25 kilometers of the pipeline have already been laid as part of the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline between Herat and Turkmenistan, and another 120 kilometers are fully prepared to begin construction work.
The Ambassador of Turkmenistanto Afghanistan, Khoja Avezov, stated that the level of security in Afghanistan has allowed the implementation of major projects to approach the final stage. According to him, they could be completed by the end of 2026, which is expected to turn Herat into a major industrial center directly connected to Turkmenistan’s resources, reports ORIENT.
Cooperation to strengthen the banks and update border markers on the Amu Darya River was also discussed. Previously, uncertainty on the banks of the Panj River, which runs along the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, had caused incidents between Tajik border guards and representatives of the Taliban.
During the meeting, the parties emphasized the need to resolve the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan through negotiations. It was noted that discussions were taking place against the backdrop of negotiations between Taliban representatives and Pakistan in Urumqi.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, they have actively sought to establish relations with Central Asian countries. However, Tajikistan remains the only country in the region that officially states it does not support direct relations with the movement.
At the same time, reports of bilateral meetings and consultations have been increasingly frequent lately, which may indicate a gradual softening of Dushanbe’s policy towards the Taliban.
Nevertheless, several attacks on Tajikistan have occurred from Afghan territory at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, resulting in several deaths, including Chinese citizens.
Taliban authorities have stated that they are not involved in these attacks and that groups attempting to worsen relations between the two countries are responsible. Dushanbe, for its part, has repeatedly called on the Afghan side to detain those responsible and ensure security along the common border.
