The Taliban government has launched a mechanism for multilateral political consultations with Central Asian states. Kabul intends to use the new dialogue platform to expand practical cooperation in trade, transit and transport connectivity, and to coordinate efforts in this process. This aligns with the agenda of the Regional Contact Group of Special Representatives of Central Asian Countries on Afghanistan, which was established in 2025 at Uzbekistan’s initiative. At an extraordinary meeting of the Group, held on February 16, 2026 in Astana, Kazakhstan, participants emphasized the need for a coordinated and independent approach to the Afghan issue. This approach appears to be based on viewing Afghanistan as a country of opportunities rather than a source of threats — a perspective adopted and supported by virtually all countries in the region. The Taliban is prepared to follow a similar course and engage in collective dialogue with Central Asian partners on issues of mutual strategic interest. The holding of the six-party meeting in Kabul was a clear confirmation of this.
The Afghan side advocates a pragmatic model of regional integration, with a focus on realising its own economic potential. The stated goal is to increase trade turnover with the Central Asian republics to $10 billion while also mitigating the trade imbalance. Currently, Afghan exports account for less than 10 percent of the $2.7 billion trade volume, despite almost doubling in 2025.
Cooperation in transit is an important component of economic integration between Afghanistan and Central Asia. Kabul is eager to see transport infrastructure projects implemented swiftly, as these are intended to transform the country into a major hub for transcontinental logistics. Uzbekistan is leading the construction of the Kabul Corridor and the Surkhan-Puli-Khumri power transmission line, while Kazakhstan is planning to build the Torghundi-Herat railway, with the prospect of extending it to Pakistan via the western Afghan provinces. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan is accelerating construction of the TAPI gas pipeline towards South Asia. The TAP and CASA-1000 projects, which aim to export electricity from Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, also remain a priority.
Such activity demonstrates a commitment to long-term investment in Afghanistan’s development. However, it also requires coordinated action from the parties involved — both trade and transit cooperation with Kabul and ensuring the security of future infrastructure. A number of proposals put forward by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to his counterparts during the consultative dialogue addressed precisely this issue. Judging by official rhetoric, the Taliban are interested not only in establishing international trade and energy corridors through Afghanistan, but also in complementing these. In this context, the Afghan side emphasized the importance of a unified approach to implementing joint economic projects, which will certainly be welcomed by the Central Asian states.
* The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.
