Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, proposed during the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) that the 18th summit be held in Kabul, according to a statement from the Deputy PM’s office.

Baradar, speaking about hosting the next ECO summit in Kabul, said: “We are fully prepared to host this important and valuable gathering and extend a warm welcome to all participants.”

The 17th ECO summit was held on Friday in the city of Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

During his remarks, Baradar stated that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has been recognized by Russia as a result of its balanced, economy-focused foreign policy, adding that the IEA warmly welcomes this step.

In light of Afghanistan’s longstanding and deep cooperation with ECO, Baradar called on all member states to recognize Afghanistan’s legitimate political reality and, like the Russian Federation, take practical and positive steps toward formal recognition.

He spoke about the IEA’s economy-centered foreign policy, the economic progress achieved within Afghanistan, the existing investment opportunities, and the country’s strategic role in facilitating and implementing key regional economic projects.

Baradar urged ECO member states to work closely with a stable, reliable, and cooperative Afghanistan to strengthen economic and regional ties through sustainable progress and coordination.

He emphasized the need for cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, energy, transportation, agriculture, environmental protection, and climate change — sectors in which Afghanistan is fully prepared to engage.

He added: “We believe that the economies of ECO member states can only thrive if Afghanistan becomes an active part of this equation.”

At the summit, Baradar also reiterated the IEA’s solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine, stating: “The oppression being inflicted upon the innocent people of Gaza must come to an end without delay. We fully support the liberation of Palestine and the preservation of the Islamic identity of Al-Quds.”

The 17th ECO summit was attended by presidents, prime ministers, and senior officials of the member states, who emphasized the importance of fostering full cooperation and coordination among ECO countries in political, economic, trade, transit, transport, cultural relations, regional connectivity, and investment.

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Ankara announced on late Thursday that Saniullah Farhamand, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Emirate, has presented his credentials to Ahmet Cemil Miroğlu, the chief of protocol at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The embassy stated the meeting took place at the ministry’s headquarters in the Turkish capital, where the two sides discussed political, cultural, and religious relations between Turkey and Afghanistan.

The statement added that Miroğlu expressed hope that Farhamand would soon present his formal credentials to senior Turkish officials.

Saniullah Farhamand was recently formally appointed as Ambassador and Special Representative of the Islamic Emirate to Ankara by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and has officially begun his duties.

Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has said that official engagement with the IEA is acknowledgement of an undeniable reality and called on the international community to replace pressure-based policies with dialogue and cooperation.

In a statement posted on X, Haqqani described the Islamic Emirate as a movement rooted in the faith and will of the Afghan people. “The Emirate is a movement that emerged from the heart of the believing Afghan nation,” he said.

Reflecting on the IEA’s two periods of rule, he asserted that in its first phase, the Emirate had liberated Afghans from the chaos of warlordism, and in its second, it had restored Afghanistan’s independence. “Its emergence in the form of a state was the hope of the Afghans, an experience shared by many other nations,” he added.

Criticizing the international approach of isolation and sanctions, he said, “The politics of pressure and distance has proven fruitless. Only dialogue and engagement can resolve matters and bring proximity.”

His remarks come amid shifting diplomatic attitudes toward the IEA, particularly following Russia’s recent formal recognition of the Islamic Emirate—a move welcomed by China and closely watched by regional actors.