The Taliban Have Offered The U.S. Access To Afghanistan's Resources

In exchange, Kabul wants Washington to resume diplomatic relations.

The Afghan Taliban have proposed that the U.S. resume its diplomatic presence in Kabul and invest in Afghanistan's development. This was stated in an interview with The New York Times by the country’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaki.

According to the Afghan diplomat, this refers exclusively to a civilian U.S. presence in the country, without the return of American military personnel. The Taliban are proposing that Washington reopen its embassy, maintain diplomatic ties, and invest in the development of mineral deposits, as well as the construction of dams and roads.

Muttaki stated that “the chapter of war is closed,” and that Afghanistan now wishes to build relations with the U.S. based on mutual respect and “a new chapter of positive cooperation.” He also noted that Kabul is ready to open its diplomatic missions in the U.S.

The Taliban hope this will help them emerge from international isolation. Over the past year, Afghanistan has stepped up its contacts with Russia, Central Asian countries, and Gulf states, concluded a number of trade agreements, and reached an agreement with Russia on a defense partnership.

However, the U.S. has not yet shown a willingness to normalize relations. The State Department stated that the Taliban have not ensured the necessary stability in the country and have not fulfilled their obligations to combat terrorism. Washington emphasizes that it engages with the Taliban only when it is in the U.S. interest to do so.

Over the past year, relations between the two sides have even become more strained. The U.S. has drawn closer to Pakistan—which previously carried out airstrikes on Afghan territory—restricted the issuance of visas to Afghans, and barred them from entering the country. In addition, the Taliban were added to the U.S. list of organizations linked to the unlawful detention of U.S. citizens.

For its part, Kabul has failed to meet a number of demands made by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Taliban refused to return control of Bagram Air Base to the U.S. and declined to hand over abandoned American weapons. They also failed to release a U.S. citizen whom, according to their account, they are not holding at all.

At the same time, experts believe that Afghanistan’s economic potential could become an important factor for possible future cooperation with Washington. The country possesses significant, though as yet underdeveloped, reserves of lithium, copper, iron ore, and rare-earth metals. These resources are of strategic importance to the U.S.

Between 2004 and 2021, Washington already spent nearly a billion dollars on developing Afghanistan’s mining sector, but this did not yield significant results. Kabul currently has agreements in this sector with companies from China, Iran, and Qatar.

At the same time, Western countries still do not recognize the Taliban government as the legitimate authority in Afghanistan. The country remains internationally isolated, and the movement’s supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada is wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges of persecuting Afghan women and girls.

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