Fazl Mahmoud Fazli, former head of Afghanistan’s Office of Administrative Affairs, says the Taliban’s current proposal to attract U.S. investment in Afghanistan is similar to an understanding reached between former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and then-U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017.
According to Fazli, the United States had previously discussed investment and economic cooperation with the Afghan government, but Washington ultimately did not commit to implementing the agreement.
His comments come after Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi recently called for greater U.S. economic engagement in Afghanistan and invited American companies to invest in sectors including mining, infrastructure, agriculture and trade.
Afghanistan possesses significant untapped natural resources, including minerals that could attract foreign investment. The Taliban administration has increasingly highlighted economic cooperation and investment as a way to overcome the country’s diplomatic and economic isolation.
Fazli, however, argued that economic proposals alone would not be enough to establish meaningful relations with the United States and the wider international community. He said the Taliban could gain international trust and cooperation only by respecting the rights of the Afghan people.
The former official’s remarks also come amid continued international criticism of Taliban policies, particularly restrictions imposed on women and girls.
Fazli served as head of the Administrative Office of the Afghan presidency under Ashraf Ghani. Public records identify him as a senior member of Ghani’s administration.
The Taliban has sought greater international engagement since returning to power in August 2021, but its policies on human rights and women’s education and employment remain major obstacles to broader diplomatic recognition.