Taliban delegation meets Turkmen officials in Ashgabat

KABUL (Pajhwok): A Taliban delegation recently visited Turkmenistan’s capital and met Foreign Ministry officials in Ashgabat, Radio Free Europe (RFE) reported on Monday.

The Taliban delegation visited Ashgabat in response to Turkmenistan’s invitation, the insurgent movement spokesman in Qatar, Mohammad Nayeem, was quoted as saying.

The two sides discussed “bilateral, economic and political ties between the two nations, as well as issues of border. Naeem told RFE.

The meeting comes amid grave concerns in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over Taliban’s escalating attacks in northern Afghanistan.

The talks took place on July 10 in Ahgabat, where the Taliban team was led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, head of the group’s political office in Qatar.

Other sources told RFE that the Turkmen side had asked Taliban representatives to keep the talks a secret, as it did not want to anger Kabul.

The Taliban were reportedly urged to eschew attacking Turkmenistan’s territory and block the possible flow of refugees into the Central Asian country.

PAN Monitor/mud

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