Ambassador Met Taliban Diplomat In Islamabad Without Permission, Says Maldives

Following the meeting between the Maldivian ambassador Mohamed Thoha and a Taliban diplomat in Pakistan, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry announced that the meeting took place without their permission and approval.

The ministry said that it was acting in accordance with the procedure of the UN Assembly and recognised Afghanistan's representative to the United Nations as the representative of the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Taliban's embassy in Islamabad on Saturday had announced a meeting between the chargé d'affaires of the embassy, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, and the ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to Pakistan, Mohamed Thoha.

After the meeting, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that in international relations, it acts in accordance with the procedure of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the person representing a state. The ministry stressed that in accordance with this procedure, the Maldives recognises Afghanistan's representative to the United Nations as the representative of the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Maldives Foreign Ministry stressed that "the recent meeting between the Maldivian ambassador to Pakistan and the Taliban representative in Islamabad took place without the approval of the Maldivian government”.

According to the statement, after the meeting, "appropriate measures have been taken by the Maldivian government," however, the Maldives Foreign Ministry did not elaborate on the measures.

On Saturday, the Taliban's embassy in Islamabad quoted the Maldivian ambassador as saying that the country "as a brotherly Muslim country, wants strong and close relations with Afghanistan”.

The Taliban's embassy quoted the Maldivian ambassador in Islamabad as saying that he expressed hope that they would be able to establish transit and trade relations with Central Asian countries through Afghanistan.

The Taliban diplomat said that the group wants constructive relations with all countries and is trying to turn Afghanistan into a regional connection point with economic-oriented policies.

The Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 1,192 islands, and is known as a tourist destination famous for its beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters.

So far, no country has recognised the Taliban, and the United Nations General Assembly has refused to accept the Taliban's representative. Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan's Acting Representative to the United Nations, is present.

The international community has conditioned the legitimacy of the Taliban on the observance of human rights, the formation of an inclusive national government, the observance of women's rights, especially the right to education and work, and the fight against terrorism.