Taliban Claims Afghanistan’s Central Role in Regional Connectivity
Zikrullah Jalali, the Deputy Political Head of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, stated that based on historical, geographical, and economic logic, connecting Central Asia to South Asia is impossible without Afghanistan’s involvement. On Thursday, May 7, he wrote on the social media platform X that excluding Afghanistan from this process is neither feasible nor sustainable.
Jalali emphasized that only a comprehensive, constructive, and forward-looking economic framework can endure sustainably and provide a foundation for shared prosperity among the people of the region. He warned that any regional plan that ignores Afghanistan’s role will face serious challenges.
These remarks come as the Taliban administration has consistently sought to highlight Afghanistan’s geographic position as a regional crossroads. Geographically, Afghanistan lies between Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East and has long been viewed as a potential transit hub.
However, the realization of major regional projects requires political stability, balanced relations with neighboring countries, and the building of international trust—issues that remain debated and of concern for several regional and global actors since the Taliban takeover. Although Taliban officials have announced the initiation of some regional projects, concrete details regarding progress and necessary guarantees for their continuation have not been provided.
