Senior Taliban officials meet with Uzbek intelligence and military delegation.
Following the Taliban’s efforts to expand regional relations, Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Acting Defense Minister Mullah Yaqub Mujahid met separately with a high-ranking delegation of Uzbek intelligence and security officials.
The meetings were attended by Gurbanov Bakhodir, the head of Uzbekistan’s intelligence service, Makhtorov Farrukh, his deputy, and Khasanova Salimjan, the commander of the country’s border forces.
Abdul Matin Qane, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said that the two sides emphasized expanding security cooperation, combating drug trafficking, and improving border security. According to him, expanding economic relations between Kabul and Tashkent was also one of the topics of discussion.
On the other hand, the Taliban Ministry of Defense issued a press release announcing that during the meeting between Maulvi Yaqub Mujahid and the Uzbek delegation, the need for border cooperation, strengthening bilateral relations, and international support for Afghanistan was emphasized.
These meetings are taking place while hundreds of Uzbek forces opposing the government of that country, supported by the Taliban, especially Sirajuddin Haqqani, are occupying northern Afghanistan. They are considered a potential threat to the security of Uzbekistan.
