New prospects for Afghanistan as UAE, Kazakhstan accept credentials of Taliban envoys

Kabul: New political and economic prospects are expected to open for Afghanistan, experts said on Friday, following the acceptance of the credentials of Taliban-appointed diplomats as the ambassador to the UAE and charge d’affaires to Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan has faced global sanctions since the Taliban took over and American-led international forces withdrew in August 2021, two decades after the US invaded the country.
Unrecognized on the international stage, the Taliban administration has been dealing on a bilateral level with regional countries, including neighboring Pakistan, India, and China, as well as Central Asian republics.
For the past three years, it has also engaged with the Middle East, mainly Qatar and the UAE.
An official Taliban delegation visited Abu Dhabi and met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed last week.
On Wednesday, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Mawlawi Badruddin Haqqani submitted his credentials to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A UAE official confirmed to Reuters on Thursday that accepting “the credentials of the ambassador of Afghanistan” reaffirms the Gulf state’s determination to build bridges and help Afghans, including through development and reconstruction projects.
Also on Wednesday, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev said that Kazakhstan accredited Muhammad Ur Rehman Rahmani as charge d’affaires of Afghanistan in Astana, “guided by the crucial goal for both countries of expanding trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation.”
Other countries that have accepted Taliban diplomats are China, which formally received the credentials of their ambassador in January, as well as Qatar, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia, where Taliban diplomats serve as charge d’affaires. Turkiye and Tajikistan have also recognized Taliban officials, but so far only at the consular level.
“Countries are concerned about the security and stability of Afghanistan as it’s directly connected to the stability in the whole region. Therefore, they are interested in engagement with the Taliban-led government, considering the rivalries and the appetite for balance of power across the region,” Sohaib Raufi, executive director of the Center for Strategic and Regional Studies in Kabul, told Arab News.
“These steps are clear signs of increasing trust between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and countries in the region and beyond. The trade-oriented foreign policy of the Islamic Emirate is a key factor in enhancing its relations with the world.”
During the first Taliban stint in power in 1996-2001, their administration was recognized by three countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The growing international engagement may be seen as initial steps for further recognition of the current government.
“But there’s a long way ahead before reaching that stage,” Raufi said. “A wider engagement of the world countries is required to reduce the current isolation of Afghanistan on a larger political level.”
In the short term, however, the new official relations, especially with the UAE, are expected to have an impact on Afghanistan’s reeling economy.
“Afghanistan’s economic relations have been limited due to the political restrictions imposed on the country after August 2021. Increasing political engagement with more countries will no doubt have a positive impact on the country’s exports and imports through accessing diversified economic corridors,” said Tayeb Khan, economics lecturer at Kateb University in Kabul.
“Afghanistan’s relations with the UAE, as a global trade hub, will give Afghanistan easy access to a wider market in the Arab countries and beyond, creating increased opportunities for utilizing Afghanistan’s human capital as well.”