After months of talks with the UAE, Turkey, and Qatar, the Taliban’s acting deputy prime minister announced on Tuesday that the group will sign an agreement with the UAE to operate airports in Afghanistan.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar announced the news via Twitter and later told reporters in Kabul that his administration was renewing an airport ground handling agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
It was unclear whether the deal extended beyond existing procedures or included airport security, which is a sensitive issue for the Taliban, who have battled against US-led NATO troops for decades and claim they do not want international soldiers to return.
A request for response from the UAE’s foreign ministry was not immediately returned.
According to a source familiar with the talks, Doha’s requirement that Qatari security personnel be present at the airport has been a sticking point in the talks.
After the Taliban took charge in August last year as foreign forces departed, Qatar and Turkey dispatched temporary technical teams to assist with airport operations and security.
The airport negotiations show how countries are attempting to exercise their influence in Afghanistan, despite the fact that the hardline Islamist organisation remains virtually a worldwide pariah and its government is not formally recognised by any country.
As talks began last year, sources told Reuters that the Emiratis were eager to challenge Qatar’s diplomatic clout.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have had tense relations for years as they vie for regional power.
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