Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province, visited Tajikistan on Thursday, where he met with senior Tajik officials. He called for the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Kabul and Dushanbe.

According to a statement from the Taliban governor’s office, Wafa travelled to Dushanbe at the invitation of Tajik authorities. During his meetings, he discussed regional security and stressed that instability in Afghanistan could adversely affect neighbouring countries.

The statement said Wafa met with Saimumin Sattorovich Yatimov, head of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, and the commander of the country’s border forces. The Taliban spokesperson for Balkh said both sides underscored the importance of strengthening intelligence and border security cooperation.

Tajikistan, unlike other Central Asian states, does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Taliban and continues to host several figures opposed to their rule. Dushanbe has also refused to transfer control of Afghanistan’s embassy to Taliban representatives, maintaining ties with officials from the former Afghan republic.

Yousuf Wafa, a close confidant of the Taliban’s supreme leader, has been a key figure in the group’s political outreach to regional neighbours. His visit marks one of the highest-level Taliban delegations to Tajikistan since the group’s return to power in 2021.

Tajikistan has repeatedly voiced concern about the presence of extremist and terrorist groups inside Afghanistan under Taliban control. Last year, Yatimov travelled to Kabul to meet with Taliban intelligence officials. Diplomatic sources told Afghanistan International that his August 2024 visit focused on ways to enhance security coordination between the two sides amid ongoing regional tensions.