The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Taliban Agriculture, Irrigation and
Livestock Minister Ataullah Omari has traveled to Belarus to attend the second
meeting of a joint commission focused on economic and trade cooperation between
Afghanistan and Belarus, the Taliban-run Agriculture Ministry said.

Omari is leading a 13-member Afghan delegation at the
invitation of Belarus, according to the ministry.

The delegation includes the deputy minister of Industry and
Commerce and representatives from the ministries of Agriculture, Irrigation and
Livestock; Transport and Civil Aviation; Finance; Foreign Affairs; and
Commerce. Representatives of Afghan state-owned companies and the Taliban’s
deputy prime minister’s office for economic affairs are also part of the
delegation, the ministry said.

The talks are expected to focus on expanding economic and
trade cooperation, strengthening bilateral economic ties and identifying areas
for further cooperation between Afghanistan and Belarus, according to the
ministry.

The visit comes as the Taliban seek to expand Afghanistan’s
economic and commercial ties with countries beyond its traditional regional
partners. The Taliban government is not formally recognized by most countries,
but several governments have maintained diplomatic and economic engagement with
Kabul.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has also maintained
contacts with the Taliban authorities. The two sides have discussed expanding
economic relations, although the statement from the Taliban Agriculture
Ministry did not provide details on specific trade deals or investment
agreements expected from the current visit.

The ministry did not say how long the delegation would
remain in Belarus or whether any agreements would be signed during the
meetings.

The Taliban’s growing international engagement has drawn
criticism from human rights advocates and U.N. officials, who have warned
against treating the group as a normal government without concrete progress on
human rights. U.N. experts have called for measurable and independently
verified improvements, particularly in the rights of women and girls.

The
Taliban have continued to bar girls from secondary and higher education and
restrict women’s work, movement and participation in public life. Separately, a
U.N. Security Council monitoring report said the Taliban authorities continued
to provide a permissive environment for terrorist groups, notably TTP, raising
continuing concerns about Afghanistan’s counterterrorism commitments.