SSS Chairman Kurbanov holds talks with Taliban Defense Minister in Kabul

On July 22, the Chairman of Uzbekistan’s State Security Service (SSS), Colonel General Bakhodir Kurbanov, met with Mullah Muhammad Yakub, the Acting Minister of National Defense of the Taliban’s interim government, in Kabul. The meeting was reported by the Taliban's Ministry of National Defense.

The Uzbek delegation also included Deputy SSC Chairman Farrukh Mukhtorov, Deputy SSC Chairman and Commander of the Border Troops Salimjon Hasanov, along with other senior officials.

“At the meeting, the Uzbek delegation expressed satisfaction with the country’s national security and economic development and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations,” the statement read.

For his part, the Taliban representative praised Uzbekistan’s constructive stance toward Afghanistan on the international stage and highlighted the growing cooperation between the two neighboring countries. The sides also exchanged views on border cooperation, future engagements, and other relevant issues.

It is worth recalling that just days earlier, on July 17, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov visited Kabul, where he met with the Taliban’s Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and Acting Minister of the Interior Khalifa Sirojiddin Haqqani. That same day, Kabul hosted the first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. During the summit, the heads of the Afghan Ministry of Public Works, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport, and Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways signed an agreement to develop the technical and economic framework for the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan Trans-Afghan Railway. Minister Saidov also met with Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, the Taliban’s Acting Prime Minister.