Taliban rule. Afghanistan relations with Central Asia

They do not recognize the Taliban regime, but they do business with them. The Times of Central Asia describes what the cooperation of the Soviets of Central Asia with Afghanistan looks like after the Taliban took power in 2021.

Central Asia countries created after the collapse of the Soviet Union – Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan – adopted a pragmatic approach to the relationship with Afghanistanputting emphasis on economic cooperation, infrastructure development and investment projects, and at the same time avoiding making this cooperation dependent on political or ideological issues characteristic of Western countries.

Although none of these countries have formally recognized the Taliban regime, bilateral and regional relations with kabul are developing based on specific actions.

Afghanistan maintains diplomatic representations in all five Central Asia countries. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan officially accredited diplomats appointed by Taliban on the basis of reciprocity.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are more restrained – in Duszanbe there is still an ambassador appointed by the previous government of President Ashraf Ghani, and the status of the Afghan mission in Biszkek remains unregulated.

What does cooperation with Afghanistan look like?

The states of the region do not declare the recognition of the authorities in Kabul (although Kazakhstan officially deleted in 2024 Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations) and do not engage in their legitimacy on the international arena. However, bilateral and multilateral cooperation is based not on political declarations, but on practical initiatives.

Central Asia countries, which once treated Afghanistan as a source of instability in connection with the threat of extremist movements, now build relations with the Kabul on developing projects in the fields of transport, trade, energy, food safety and humanitarian aid. This approach is part of a broader trend of regional diplomacy, in which pragmatism replaces ideological conditions of cooperation – emphasized Times of Central Asia.

Afghanistan will remain the “Empire cemetery”?

The portal also reminded that after the Taliban took power in 2021, which took place after the hasty and chaotic withdrawal of the western coalition (including Polish) under the leadership of USAAfghanistan found himself in a difficult situation. The state has been deprived of Western support, but it is likely that it will still be dependent on external assistance for many years. As noted, this is a situation known in Afghanistan for a long time, because this country has become a place of geopolitical competition of great powers for centuries.

However, the region's awareness of this dependence of the region see the chance to include Afghanistan in a network of cooperation – provided that the activities of the Taliban government will be predictable and focused on development, and cooperation will remain free from political or ideological issues.

Times of Central Asia pointed out that Afghanistan, after taking power by the Taliban, has a chance to break with the reputation of the “Empire cemeteries” and save a new chapter in its history. The extent that he will succeed, maybe – in the opinion of the portal – to decide not only about the future of Afghanistan itself and the entire region, but also to influence the formation of a new global security paradigm.