The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has rejected reports alleging that al-Qaeda and other militant groups are regrouping in the country, saying such groups are no longer present and that there is no evidence supporting the claims.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said groups that had previously been present in Afghanistan were linked to the circumstances and jihad of an earlier period, but that major regional developments had since changed the situation.

“Those groups are no longer present in Afghanistan, nor is there any need for their presence. There is also no evidence to prove the claims about their presence,” Fitrat said.

The comments came after The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing US and Western security officials and a United Nations organization, that al-Qaeda and other militant groups have been rebuilding their networks in Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021.

Fitrat said such claims are made by certain intelligence circles that seek to portray Afghanistan as insecure and to make the region insecure.

He reiterated that the IEA will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.

The Islamic Emirate says it is seeking to strengthen and expand Kabul’s relations with countries in the region and beyond, with its foreign policy focused on economic cooperation and regional connectivity.

Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, says Afghanistan’s current government has managed to establish trust-based relations with countries in the region and around the world over the past five years.

Mujahid says visits by senior officials from several countries to Afghanistan, along with expanding trade relations with a number of countries, demonstrate the growing trend of these interactions.

The Islamic Emirate spokesman stresses that Afghanistan needs the cooperation and effective role of neighboring and regional countries to strengthen regional cooperation and achieve its economic and regional connectivity objectives.

He also says the Islamic Emirate is seeking to further expand and consolidate Kabul’s relations with countries in the region.

According to figures from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Emirate currently has 40 active diplomatic missions in different countries.

Meanwhile, a number of international relations experts state that expanding Afghanistan’s engagement with the world could help reduce political isolation, strengthen diplomatic ties, attract investment, and ultimately foster the country’s economic growth.

Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that Washington risks creating a vacuum in Afghanistan that could be filled by China and Russia if the United States does not re-engage with the country.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Khalilzad said maintaining stability in Afghanistan remains in the US interest, warning that a return to collapse and chaos could once again create conditions for terrorist groups to expand and pose threats to the United States.

“If we do not engage and try to advance our interests, then our rivals will fill the vacuum,” Khalilzad said.

He pointed to growing Chinese and Russian engagement with Afghanistan, saying China is seeking access to the country’s natural resources while Russia has also become increasingly active.

Khalilzad said US policy should take Afghanistan’s current circumstances and future direction into account, including what Washington wants the country to look like in the years ahead.

He identified preventing Afghanistan from again becoming a base for anti-US terrorist groups as one of Washington’s key interests.

“Economic progress is important to achieving this goal, and developing Afghanistan’s resources is also important,” he said.

Khalilzad also warned that continued restrictions on women’s and girls’ access to education and employment could have serious consequences.

Meanwhile, Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Kabul and Washington have held talks through various channels on several occasions.

However, Mujahid said the absence of changes in US policy towards Afghanistan has prevented the discussions from producing meaningful progress in relations between the two sides.