Behind the barrel of negotiations: why Tajikistan started contacting the Taliban
Tajikistan has long been the most implacable opponent of the Afghan Taliban in Central Asia. This fall, however, there have been signs of a change in relations. Dushanbe has already sent several representative delegations to the neighboring state. Izvestia investigated the situation.
Border meetings
Signs of warming between Dushanbe and Kabul appeared in September. Then Tajik Ambassador Sadi Sharifi visited the Afghan province of Kunar, which was affected by a strong earthquake, where he handed over a batch of humanitarian aid to the local population. This was the diplomat's first public appearance under the rule of the Taliban, the first evidence that Tajikistan's representative office in the country was functioning at all.
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon delivers a speech during the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (GA United Nations) at the UN Headquarters in New York, September 23
Then the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, spoke quite complimentfully about the neighboring state at the session of the UN General Assembly, held in New York in September. According to him, Dushanbe calls on the international community to help the "long-suffering people of Afghanistan" to ensure peace and stability. Representatives of the Taliban welcomed this statement.
In October, several semi-official visits became known. First, the governor of the Afghan border province of Balkh, Yusuf Wafo, visited Dushanbe. The official met with the head of the Tajik secret service of the National Security Committee, Saimumin Yatimov, during the talks he stressed that Kabul is waging a fierce struggle against extremist groups, preventing the destabilization of the situation in the region.
It was noted that the Wafo offered to establish cooperation in the field of security, persuaded to restore diplomatic and political relations. Yatimov responded by saying that the two countries would live "in peace and friendship as fraternal peoples." After that, a Tajik delegation led by the Deputy Chairman of the Khatlon region visited the Afghan border province of Kunduz, and security again became the main issue.
Finally, in mid-November, a high-ranking Tajik delegation, which included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Committee and other departments, arrived in Kabul. According to an Afghan media report, the negotiators met with the head of the Taliban government and the head of intelligence. It should be noted that the official Dushanbe did not confirm the fact of negotiations, although it did not deny it.
According to a number of reports, the meetings discussed not only the resolution of border disputes, but also the expansion of political contacts. The Taliban offered Tajikistan to recognize the current Afghan authorities and transfer the embassy in Dushanbe to Kabul's control. According to the Afghan media, no specific agreements have been reached, but in general, the Tajik side's "approach is changing."
From letters of commendation to recognition
The Taliban movement came to power in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, when footage of the American contingent and their local helpers fleeing the country spread around the world. Most of the embassies were evacuated at that time, and no country in the world recognized the new government in Kabul.
Among the main claims are suspicions of involvement in terrorism and numerous human rights violations. Thus, women in the country were banned from studying at universities and secondary schools, banned from working in most fields, forbidden to go outside unaccompanied by men and even to talk in public, ordered to wear a burqa or niqab, which completely cover the face and body.
In addition, much has been said about the oppression of national minorities in Afghanistan, and human rights activists have argued that the non-Pashtun population is facing aggression and the seizure of property. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has repeatedly stressed that Dushanbe demands the creation of an inclusive government in the country, which will include representatives of all major national groups.
Gradually, however, attitudes towards the Taliban Government began to soften in a number of countries. On the one hand, over the past four years it has become clear that the representatives of the group have come to power for a long time. If at first it seemed that their appearance would be just another round of the multi-year civil war, now it has come to be understood that they are holding on quite tightly in Kabul.
On the other hand, the Taliban constantly emphasize that they have no complaints about their neighbors and are not engaged in terrorism. Moreover, the Afghan authorities themselves are suffering from extremists from other groups. There are periodic explosions near administrative buildings in the country, and in December last year, the Minister of Refugee Affairs, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, was killed in a terrorist attack.
In such circumstances, some countries have begun to establish relations with the de facto Afghan authorities. Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping received credentials from the Taliban ambassador. This year, Russia first excluded the movement from the list of terrorist organizations, and later became the first in the world to officially recognize the group's authority in Afghanistan.
There have also been changes in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have removed the Taliban from their lists of banned organizations. Turkmenistan has revived the TAPI pipeline project, which will allow Ashgabat to transport gas to South Asia through Afghanistan. Uzbekistan is developing cross-border trade and is going to build the Trans-Afghan Railway.
Tajikistan has until recently taken the most intransigent position. In Dushanbe, it was emphasized that ethnic Tajiks are the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, but they are deprived of political rights. In addition, it was noted that the situation on the border of the two countries remains difficult, with 10 clashes between Tajik border guards and drug traffickers and smugglers in the first half of this year alone.
What the experts say
Orientalist Azhdar Kurtov notes that it is important for Dushanbe to establish ties with Kabul.
— Any state is interested in good relations with its neighbors. Tajikistan and Afghanistan have a very long and problematic border, and this is especially important for them. In addition, Tajikistan does not want to stay away from major investment and infrastructure projects that are currently being implemented in Central Asia, and for this it is necessary to be a peaceful country. Dushanbe was able to settle border disputes with Kyrgyzstan, and wants to achieve the same on its southern borders," he emphasizes.
Andrei Serenko, a political scientist and expert on Central Asian countries, argues that Tajikistan's position towards Afghanistan is not really changing.
— Dushanbe continues to insist on the creation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, which will include not only Pashtuns, but also ethnic Tajiks. Another thing is that Dushanbe is extremely concerned about the situation on the border territory. It is known that militants who are moving from Syria are now accumulating in the northern provinces of Afghanistan. All recent contacts are related to this — the Tajik authorities are trying to get maximum information and some security guarantees from the Taliban. Contacts don't go beyond that," he explains.
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