Taliban Balkh Governor Visits Uzbekistan To Boost Ties

Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban governor of Balkh, led a senior delegation to Uzbekistan on Friday to enhance trade, economic, and border security cooperation, his office announced.

Though Uzbekistan does not formally recognise the Taliban, both sides have maintained engagement in these areas.

Last August, the Taliban revealed that Uzbekistan, at Wafa’s request, began building a $6 million religious school in Shahr-e-Naw, near Mazar-e-Sharif. Over the past three years, Taliban and Uzbek officials have held several meetings.

In August 2024, Kabul hosted Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, and Uzbekistan accepted a Taliban diplomat as chargé d'affaires at the Afghan embassy in Tashkent.