Moldovan PM Slams Approval of Taliban Delegation Visit

CHISINAU, Aug. 5: Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has strongly criticized the approval of a visit by a delegation from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, describing it as “an error of assessment and institutional coordination” and reaffirming that Moldova does not recognize the Taliban government.

Addressing a press briefing, Tofan said the approval of the delegation’s visit resulted from shortcomings in inter-agency coordination rather than any change in Moldova’s foreign policy. He stressed that the government remains committed to its position of not recognizing the Taliban administration.

The prime minister explained that the visit was requested by a Moldovan company seeking to expand agricultural trade with Afghanistan. He noted that the delegation members were not subject to international sanctions and that the proposed activities did not violate European Union regulations.

Despite compliance with existing administrative procedures, Tofan said the political and diplomatic implications of the visit were not properly assessed. He acknowledged that the matter should have been reviewed more carefully by all relevant institutions before approval was granted.

He announced that the government would strengthen coordination among state institutions and revise internal procedures to ensure that politically sensitive decisions receive comprehensive scrutiny in the future.

Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reiterated that the country does not recognize the Taliban government and confirmed that no official bilateral meetings would be held with the visiting delegation. The ministry added that an internal review had been launched to determine how the invitation and visas were approved.