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British minister says officials speak regularly but UK ‘some way off’ recognizing IEA
Britain’s foreign office minister of state, Andrew Mitchell, said Wednesday the UK is “some way off” moving to recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan although officials from both sides speak regularly.
Responding to calls from former minister Tobias Ellwood for the UK to re-engage with the IEA and reopen the Kabul embassy, Mitchell said the UK government has a “pragmatic dialogue” with the IEA but needs to “keep the pressure on them to change their approach”.
He also said the government will keep “very much under review” calls to reopen the UK embassy in Afghanistan, but he noted the security and political situation does not currently allow them to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Kabul.
Speaking in Westminster Hall, Mitchell said the IEA’s “increasingly repressive” policies have had a “devastating impact” on women and girls in Afghanistan while minority groups face “discrimination and attacks”.
He said the basic expectations, as made clear by UN resolutions, include ensuring Afghanistan will “no longer be used as a base for terrorist activities”.
Mitchell told MPs: “Our senior officials speak regularly to the Taliban (IEA), including to secure the release of four British national detainees last October.
“Officials also visit Kabul when the situation permits, including a visit last month from the British charge d’affaires to Kabul, where he met a wide range of senior Taliban figures.
“Regardless of the complexities of the relationship, the UK government has helped lead the way in securing the Afghan people.
“In respect of (Mr Ellwood’s) plea about the embassy, we will note what he has said and keep that very much under review.”
Mitchell also said the UK has dispersed more than £600 million since 2021 in aid for Afghanistan.
Mitchell added: “Our intention since August 2021 has been to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Kabul when the security and political situation allows. We do not believe that is the case at the moment but officials continue to visit and we’ll keep this under close review.
“We’re clear that we must have a pragmatic dialogue with the Taliban (IEA) however this does not amount to recognition. We are some way off moving to recognise the Taliban and we need to keep the pressure on them to change their approach.
“This does not stop us from having an impact on the ground and directly helping the people of Afghanistan in any pragmatic way.”
The IEA has not yet commented on Mitchell’s address to British MPs.
Ariana Afghan Airlines has ranked seventh among 45 airlines in Central Asia in Skytrax’s 2026 rankings.
Company officials say Ariana Afghan ranked eighth on the list in 2025, but moved up one place this year following improvements in service quality and the expansion of its operations.
According to the officials, in 2026 the airline met criteria including service quality, flight safety, professional cabin crew, and experience in the aviation sector, placing it among the top 10 airlines in Central Asia.
Skytrax is an international organization that evaluates and ranks the quality of services in the aviation industry and airlines, assessing and ranking carriers annually based on specific criteria.
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Silk Road highway in Wakhan corridor now reaches the China border
The road is expected to be officially opened for use in the near future, potentially improving connectivity through the remote Wakhan Corridor.
The construction of the Silk Road Highway in Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor has been fully completed after five years of work, officials in Badakhshan province said.
Amanullah Chehra, head of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in Badakhshan, said the 121.13-kilometre road begins in the Barghil area and stretches to Bzai Gonbad near the Chinese border.
According to officials, the road is between 7 and 10 metres wide and includes three major bridges, each measuring approximately 20 to 22 metres in length. Numerous smaller drainage structures have also been built along the route to facilitate the flow of water.
The road is expected to be officially opened for use in the near future, potentially improving connectivity through the remote Wakhan Corridor.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, met on Wednesday with Bruno Lemarquis, UNAMA’s Deputy Head for Humanitarian Affairs, to discuss the situation of Afghan returnees and humanitarian assistance.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said Lemarquis briefed the minister on assessments conducted by UN agencies during visits to several provinces to identify the needs of returnee families.
Lemarquis said joint cooperation between UN agencies and the Islamic Emirate is needed to support and resettle returnees. He added that UN agencies are currently assisting thousands of families and called for the expansion of humanitarian assistance.
He also said the international community should pay greater attention to the needs of Afghans, adding that UNAMA is ready to cooperate in addressing challenges facing returnees.
Abdul Kabir welcomed UNAMA’s support and thanked the United Nations for its assistance to Afghans. He said various government institutions have been tasked with addressing returnees’ needs.
The minister also called on aid organizations to continue supporting returnee families, saying a program to resettle thousands of internally displaced families is also underway.
Kabir further said the necessary facilities have been provided for UN agencies to operate and that the Islamic Emirate welcomes UNAMA’s humanitarian cooperation.
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