Taliban foreign minister makes first trip to Iran

Visit aimed at discussions on political, economic, and refugee crisis

Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi leads a delegation to Iran. – Reuters

By AFP

Published: Sat 8 Jan 2022, 8:15 PM

The Taliban's foreign minister visited Iran on Saturday to discuss Afghan refugees and a growing economic crisis, in the first such trip to the neighbouring country since the group seized power.

Iran has so far not recognised the new government.

"The visit aims at discussions on political, economic, transit and refugee issues between Afghanistan and Iran," the Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Twitter.

Already host to millions of Afghans and fearing a new influx, Tehran has sought to sketch a rapprochement with the Taliban.

The Taliban delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has already held a preliminary meeting with Iranian officials, he said.

Iran shares a 900-kilometre (550-mile) border with Afghanistan.

"Today, we are basically not at the point of recognising" the Taliban, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a news conference earlier this week.