UAE accepts Taliban envoy’s credentials

The UAE foreign ministry has accepted credentials from Badruddin Maulana, newly appointed ambassador of Afghanistan to the Arab nation, making it only the second country to accept an envoy at that level after China.

Saif Abdulla Alshamisi, Assistant Undersecretary for Protocol Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received a copy of the credentials of Badruddin Maulana.

Alshamisi wished the new ambassador success in the performance of his duties and in enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation between the UAE and Afghanistan.

Taliban diplomats have controlled Afghanistan’s embassy in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai since at least last year, foreign diplomats have said, though apparently without formal acceptance as Afghan diplomats, it was reported.

Last week, UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund to inquire about his health while he receives treatment in a hospital in the UAE.

For his part, the Afghan Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the generous gesture by His Highness the President, praising the UAE’s historical role in providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people through development projects and support for reconstruction and development in Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban regained power three years ago, no government has officially recognised their administration, with only Beijing formally accepting the credentials of a Taliban ambassador. Despite this, Taliban appointees are managing diplomatic missions in various countries, including neighbouring Pakistan.

On Wednesday, the Taliban’s foreign ministry announced that Badruddin had been nominated as their ambassador and had presented his credentials to the UAE’s Assistant Undersecretary for Protocol Affairs.

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