A delegation from the Taliban government is visiting Japan for the first time on Monday, marking a rare diplomatic trip outside the region.
The Afghan delegation left Kabul on Saturday for a week-long visit, which includes officials from the ministries of higher education, foreign affairs, and economy, according to local media reports.
“We seek dignified interaction with the world to build a strong, united, advanced, prosperous, and developed Afghanistan, and to become an active member of the international community,” tweeted Latif Nazari, a deputy minister at the Ministry of Economy, who is part of the delegation.
While the Taliban government frequently conducts visits to neighboring and regional countries, such as in Central Asia, Russia, and China, its official visits to Europe have been limited to diplomacy summits in Norway in 2022 and 2023.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Japan’s embassy in Kabul temporarily relocated to Qatar. However, it has since reopened and resumed its diplomatic and humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.
During their visit, the Afghan delegation plans to “exchange views with Japanese government officials,” Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.
