Bakhtiyor Saidov meets Taliban officials in Kabul for regional cooperation talks

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Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, leading a high-level delegation, visited Kabul on July 17 to participate in a trilateral meeting with Taliban and Pakistani officials, "AmuTV" reported.

According to a statement from the Arg Palace, which is administered by the Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan, the talks are part of ongoing diplomatic cooperation between the three sides and will focus on expanding regional collaboration. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund is expected to meet with Saidov during the visit.

The agenda includes discussions on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in infrastructure and transit initiatives. A key topic will be the proposed regional railway line through Afghanistan, which has drawn interest from both Uzbekistan and Pakistan as a potential trade corridor.

This session follows previous trilateral meetings: the first held in Islamabad in 2023, and two more in May 2025—one in Kabul and another in Beijing.

“These talks are part of broader efforts by regional powers to enhance economic and logistical cooperation with Afghanistan, despite the lack of formal international recognition of the Taliban regime,” the report noted.

It should be recalled that earlier, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov received Abdul Ghaffar Teravi, the ambassador of the Taliban’s interim government to Tashkent.