Taliban spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi says Kabul wants formal ties with Washington and welcomes US diplomatic and economic engagement in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has called for formal diplomatic relations with the United States and said it would welcome the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, while urging Washington to address issues linked to its two-decade military involvement in Afghanistan.
Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Kabul wanted relations with all countries, including the United States, and was open to a renewed American diplomatic presence and investment in Afghanistan. He specifically cited opportunities in minerals and natural gas.
Balkhi described the withdrawal of foreign forces in 2021 as the Taliban administration’s main achievement and said Afghanistan had since seen improvements in security, trade, investment and infrastructure. However, those assessments were presented by the Taliban spokesman and were not independently established in the interview reports.
He claimed Afghan exports had increased from about $750 million in 2020 to nearly $2 billion, while the number of factories had risen from around 1,500 to 6,000. Balkhi also said the government had continued paying public-sector employees and attracted billions of dollars in investment.
At the same time, Balkhi acknowledged that the authorities had not met public expectations in some areas. He cited unemployment, economic difficulties and dissatisfaction among sections of the population as continuing challenges.
Afghanistan remains diplomatically isolated under Taliban rule. Russia is currently the only country to have formally recognized the Taliban government, although Kabul maintains diplomatic engagement with several other countries. Balkhi questioned the practical significance of formal recognition, arguing that Afghanistan was already conducting diplomatic relations with a number of states.
The Taliban also rejected U.S. demands for the return of American military equipment left behind following the 2021 withdrawal. Balkhi argued that the equipment had become Afghan state property and opposed linking its return to the release of Afghan assets frozen abroad. He separately called for the release of Afghan central bank funds held overseas, saying the assets belonged to Afghanistan.
Balkhi also addressed the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, saying the Taliban condemned attacks on civilians and reaffirmed its position under the Doha agreement that Afghan territory would not be used to launch attacks against the United States or other countries.
On girls’ education, Balkhi defended the Taliban’s restrictions and rejected reports of underground or secret schools. He said girls could instead study at home, online or through other educational arrangements.
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