Mawlawi Badruddin Haqqani (left), Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), hands over a copy of his letter of credentials to Saif Abdullah Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a ceremony at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 21, 2024. — X/@MoFA_Afg
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accepted the credentials of the ambassador to Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, officials said, becoming only the second country to do so after China.
The oil-rich Gulf nation said it was committed to “building bridges” to support the Afghan people, after the Kabul Foreign Ministry announced on social media that it had welcomed new ambassador Mawlawi Badruddin Haqqani at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
The United States refrained from criticising the move, saying it would not affect US-UAE relations despite its conflict with the Taliban.
The UAE’s strengthening ties with the Taliban regime will include Emirati company GAAC managing Afghanistan’s airports following the withdrawal of US troops in 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power.
The ambassador’s acceptance will be seen as a victory for the Taliban authorities, who are internationally isolated and not recognised by the United Nations for reasons including refusing to allow girls to attend secondary education.
“The world recognises the challenges Afghanistan has faced over the past few years,” a UAE official said in a statement sent to AFP late on Thursday.
“The decision to accept the Afghan ambassador’s credentials reaffirms our commitment to contribute to building bridges to help the Afghan people.”
The statement said the UAE plans to provide “humanitarian assistance through development and reconstruction projects” and support efforts towards “de-escalation and stability in the region.”