Taliban security forces take part in a parade in Kandahar to mark the third anniversary of their occupation of Afghanistan. By Sanaullah Seyam
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accepted the credentials of an ambassador for Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, officials said, becoming the second country after China to do so.
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 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 reception will be seen as a victory for the Taliban authorities, who are largely isolated internationally and not recognised by the United Nations for reasons including denying girls access to 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.”
The UAE was one of three countries, along with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, to recognise the former Taliban regime that was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2001.
The country is one of the few countries that serves as a diplomatic base for the Taliban, along with Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
Nicaragua appointed a non-resident ambassador to Afghanistan in June.
Last week, in a further sign of ties between the UAE and the Taliban, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited the Afghan prime minister, who was receiving treatment in a UAE hospital.
In June, the UAE president hosted Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by US authorities and has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.