DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has accepted the credentials of an ambassador from Afghanistan's Taliban government, officials said, becoming the second country after China to do so.
The oil-rich Gulf state said it was committed to “building bridges” to help the Afghan people, after the Foreign Ministry in Kabul announced on social media that new ambassador Mawlawi Badruddin Haqqani had been welcomed at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
Despite its rivalry with the Taliban, the United States has refrained from criticizing the move, saying it will not affect Washington's relations with the UAE.
The UAE's growing ties with the Taliban government include the management of Afghan airports by an Emirati company, GAAC, following the withdrawal of US forces and the return of the Taliban to power in 2021.
The ambassador's acceptance will be seen as a victory for the Taliban authorities, who remain largely isolated internationally and unrecognized by the United Nations, in part for denying girls access to secondary education.
“The world recognises the challenges Afghanistan has faced in recent years,” an Emirati official said in a statement sent to AFP Thursday afternoon.
“The decision to accept the credentials of the Afghan ambassador reaffirms our determination to help build bridges to help the people of Afghanistan.”
The UAE plans to provide “humanitarian assistance through development and reconstruction projects” and support efforts toward “de-escalation and regional stability,” the statement said.
