Amir Khan Muttaqi said at the opening ceremony of the international traditional wrestling festival that the Taliban maintains good relations with regional countries, especially Central Asia, which “has always stood with us in every field.”
He added that the Taliban and Central Asian countries cooperate in areas such as politics, trade, and sports, saying, “We are moving forward like brothers.”
The Taliban foreign minister said the participation of athletes from six foreign countries in the international traditional wrestling festival shows that all regional countries are present in Afghanistan, are cooperating with the Taliban, and are willing to move forward together.
He expressed hope that the future of Afghanistan and the region would be “very bright.”
Muttaqi welcomed the participation of the Iranian team in the event and called for the continuation of the ceasefire and negotiations between the United States and Iran.
The festival began today with the participation of 60 athletes from Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
The Taliban remains internationally isolated due to policies widely described as repressive, and no country—except Russia—has formally recognized the group.
Although the Taliban has established relatively close ties with some regional countries, these relations are not considered fully normal.
