The foreign and domestic policies of the Islamic Emirate during its third year of governance in Afghanistan have witnessed numerous ups and downs. 

Expanding relations with some countries, activating 39 Islamic Emirate representations in various countries, and sending ambassadors and representatives to several nations are considered important aspects of the Islamic Emirate’s foreign policy.

In its third year of governance, the interim government of Afghanistan has not been recognized by the international community. However, during this period, the Islamic Emirate expanded its interactions with regional and extra regional countries.

Meanwhile, the international community has made the recognition of the Islamic Emirate’s government conditional on the observance of human rights, especially women’s rights, the formation of an inclusive government, the initiation of national dialogue, and the fight against terrorism and drugs.

John Kirby, US National Security Council spokesman, said on October 4, 2023, regarding the recognition of the Islamic Emirate: “We have not recognized them as governing power in Afghanistan, they want the legitimacy, but they need to meet their commitments. How can you effectively govern and how can you have an effective economy when basically half you workforce–all women–are prohibited from being part of that process, so we are going to keep holding them accountable for their commitments.”

The Islamic Emirate has referred to some of these international conditions as Afghanistan’s internal matters and has called on the international community not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Furthermore, the Islamic Emirate has consistently urged the world to recognize the interim government, release Afghanistan’s frozen assets, and lift sanctions on over 24 Islamic Emirate officials.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, responded to some of the world’s demands on July 5, 2023: “The issue of an inclusive government is a matter for Afghans. Afghanistan makes decisions based on national interests in all areas. Regional countries and distant nations should discuss how to organize their relations with Afghanistan and how we can create a cooperative environment in the region.”

So far, the Islamic Emirate has increased its political representations to 39 and has sent an official ambassador to China. The Afghan embassies in the Netherlands and Spain interacted with the Islamic Emirate in October 2023. The Afghan embassy in New Delhi announced the permanent suspension of its activities in November 2023, but the Afghan Consul General in Hyderabad, India, reported in December 2023 that consular services at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi would resume.

In February 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the potential reopening of the Azerbaijan embassy in Afghanistan. Nicaragua appointed Michael Campbell as its non-resident ambassador to Afghanistan.

On July 26, 2024, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan accepted Mohammad Sabir as the chargé d’affaires of the Islamic Emirate.

On July 30, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate declared that consular services provided by the embassies of the previous government in European countries were unacceptable due to the lack of interaction with the Islamic Emirate.

Regarding sanctions, Russia hinted at the possibility of removing the “Taliban” from its blacklist, and in an unprecedented move, Kazakhstan removed the Islamic Emirate from its list of terrorist groups. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on June 6, 2023: “There are challenges in Afghanistan that everyone is aware of, but we must establish relations with the current government. The Taliban are the ones governing the country; they hold power in Afghanistan today, and we must follow the realities and establish our relations accordingly.”

In the past year, some Islamic Emirate officials have traveled to various countries to improve relations. The acting Minister of Defense traveled to Qatar in February 2024. The acting Foreign Minister visited Iran the same year. The acting Minister of Interior traveled to the United Arab Emirates on June 6, 2023, and met with the Emir of that country.

The United Nations Security Council temporarily lifted the travel ban on four Islamic Emirate officials on June 6, 2023, to perform Hajj. In a recent development, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy of the Prime Minister, asked diplomats in Qatar to reopen their political missions in Kabul. Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews on August 5, 2024: “He [Mawlawi Abdul Kabir] asked them to transfer their embassies and representations to Kabul and conduct their work from here.”

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on October 4, 2023, regarding relations and his travels: “Diplomatic relations with many countries are very good and are growing day by day. Allah Almighty brought security to Afghanistan after 45 years, and Afghanistan and its neighbors have achieved security.” Meanwhile, regional countries, including China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and some others, have consistently emphasized engaging with the interim government of Afghanistan.

Yue Xiaoyong, the special representative of China for Afghanistan, said on October 7, 2023, regarding Afghanistan: “The regional and international community should ask the United States to fulfill its commitments and responsibilities towards Afghanistan. As we know, the 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the United States and NATO has caused significant problems for the Afghan people and destroyed this country. The United States and its allies have cut off aid to Afghanistan, frozen the country’s assets, and imposed unilateral sanctions, exacerbating the problems faced by the Afghan people.”

Asif Ali Durrani, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Affairs, said on October 7, 2023, about his country’s stance on Afghanistan: “Pakistan believes that by engaging with the current Afghan officials, we can help bring peace to this country and also ensure the prosperity and tranquility of the Afghan people.”

However, the fate of the constitution in the third year of the Islamic Emirate’s rule in Afghanistan remains unclear. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson told TOLOnews in February 2024 that efforts are ongoing to draft a constitution but added that the absence of a constitution does not mean Afghanistan is in a legal vacuum.

Mujahid said on February 23, 2024: “We are not in a legal vacuum. Islamic Sharia is a comprehensive law that defines the duties of every individual in the government and the system.”

The Ministry of Justice also stated in a program in Kabul that they have not yet received a decree from the leader of the Islamic Emirate regarding the drafting of a constitution.

In addition to the constitution, the fate of other issues such as the formation of an official cabinet and the tricolor national flag remained unclear in the third year of the Islamic Emirate’s rule in Afghanistan.