KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A Taliban delegation, led by Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, has traveled to Azerbaijan to participate in a major regional summit.
Baradar’s office announced on social media that he will attend the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit, set for July 3 and 4, alongside senior officials from other member countries.
In addition to attending the summit, Baradar is expected to meet with Azerbaijani officials to discuss economic cooperation and strengthen bilateral ties, according to the announcement.
This marks the first time the Taliban has been invited to the ECO summit. The intergovernmental organization, founded in 1985, aims to foster economic, technical, and cultural cooperation among its ten member states, including Afghanistan.
Although no country officially recognizes the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, some nations in the region have maintained diplomatic engagement, inviting Taliban leaders to international forums in recent years.
It remains unclear whether Baradar, who is currently on the UN sanctions list and subject to a travel ban, received an exemption for this trip. He had previously been granted permission to travel abroad, including a visit to Russia in May for the Kazan Forum.
