Taliban delegation makes historic visit to Japan

A Taliban delegation has arrived in Japan, marking the first official visit by the group since it regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The delegation, composed of officials from the foreign affairs, education, economy, and health sectors, landed on Sunday for a week-long stay, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. This trip is a rare diplomatic foray for the Taliban, whose previous international engagements have mostly been limited to neighboring countries.

During their visit, the Taliban representatives are expected to seek humanitarian assistance and explore potential diplomatic relations with Japanese officials. Latif Nazari, deputy minister of Afghanistan’s economy ministry, emphasized the delegation’s desire for “dignified interaction” with the global community and aspirations for a prosperous, unified Afghanistan.

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that the delegation plans to engage in discussions with Japanese government officials, aiming to exchange perspectives and further their goal of Afghanistan becoming an active member of the international community.