# Taliban international diplomatic and military engagement

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/taliban-international-diplomatic-and-military-engagement
> Updated: 2026-10-07T21:24:20.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 2.

During the eighth Moscow Format consultations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that NATO military presence in Afghanistan or neighboring states is “absolutely unacceptable.” Lavrov noted that the Taliban-led government has maintained territorial control and is combating terrorist groups, while also reporting that opium production has decreased by 90% since 2022 despite severe Western sanctions.

While Lavrov highlighted the critical humanitarian need for 22 million Afghans, the Taliban delegation has continued to expand its international military engagements. On the sidelines of Russia’s ‘Center 2026’ military exercises, Taliban military officials held talks with North Korean representatives regarding bilateral relations, military expertise, and potential cooperation. The Afghan delegation also met with military representatives from China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

## Claims

- Taliban military officials and North Korean representatives held talks in Russia (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Nasibullah Madani led the Afghan delegation (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The meeting occurred during the Russian Center 2026 military exercises (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Afghan delegation met with representatives from China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Discussions focused on military experience exchange and training opportunities (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Afghan Ministry of Defense released a photo of the meeting between Madani and Ro Ki-chol (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Russia and the Taliban signed a bilateral military cooperation agreement in May (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-07: Taliban and North Korea hold military talks in Russia

Taliban military officials held talks with North Korean representatives during Russia’s Center 2026 military exercises, focusing on training and expertise exchange.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/taliban-and-north-korea-hold-military-talks-during-russian-exercises

### 2026-10-05: Russia rejects NATO military presence in Afghanistan and neighboring states

At the Moscow Format consultations, Russia's Sergey Lavrov declared NATO military presence in Afghanistan unacceptable and praised the Taliban government's territorial control and counter-terrorism efforts.

16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lavrov-rejects-nato-military-presence-in-afghanistan

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Cite as: Taliban international diplomatic and military engagement. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/taliban-international-diplomatic-and-military-engagement