Taliban secures pragmatic global alliances without formal recognition

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has successfully expanded its ties in security, trade, energy, and transport with various countries, five years after returning to power in Afghanistan almost as an international pariah.While Russia became the first country to officially recognise the Afghan government in July 2025, the majority of the international community continues to withhold full political recognition, according to diplomatic sources and political experts.Still, despite the lack of formal global recognition, the government in Kabul has actively integrated itself into the regional diplomatic landscape – and its relations with multiple countries are only growing.Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told Al Jazeera that Kabul is “currently dealing with more than 40 diplomatic missions, including embassies and consulates in various countries, in addition to dozens of foreign missions and organisations working in Kabul”.China has emerged as one of the Taliban’s most prominent partners, managing its embassy in Kabul and cooperating closely on security and investment.The partnership is heavily anchored in mining, particularly the Logar copper mine project, which a Chinese c...