A victory over terrorism is impossible without the outside world's recognition of the Taliban authority in Afghanistan, Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy head of the temporary government formed by the group, said Monday.
"If the world wants the Taliban to successfully combat drug [trafficking] and terrorism, it should recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," he told Afghanistan's Aamaj News agency. "The Taliban seeks to establish diplomatic ties with the US and interact with the whole world."
The Taliban launched a large-scale operation to take control of Afghanistan after the US declared its troop pullout earlier this year.
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On August 15, Afghanistan's then-president Ashraf Ghani fled the country, while the Taliban swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance.
In early September, the Taliban declared that the entire territory of the country was under their control, and formed an interim government.
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