Minsk: Authorities in Belarus appear to be suppressing images of a Taliban delegation’s visit to a cheese-making plant, sparking controversy and highlighting diplomatic tensions. The visit, which included a tour of the Slutz Cheese-Making Plant in central Belarus, was initially reported by a local news outlet on August 21. However, the reports were soon deleted from the outlet’s website and social media channels.
According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, another post detailing the Taliban delegation’s visit was removed from a website linked to the Belarus National Academy of Sciences. Despite these efforts, several photos from the visit, initially reported by local outlet Slutzky Krai, were widely shared online before being deleted and picked up by opposition media. The images garnered attention due to the juxtaposition of Taliban officials, known for gender-based repression, listening to Belarusian women discuss food and baby formula.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya criticized the Belarusian authorities, pointing out the “hypocrisy” in welcoming Taliban representatives while labeling domestic journalists and civil society groups as extremists and terrorists. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that the controversy over the images reflects broader frustration with Belarus forming diplomatic ties with regimes like the Taliban.
While Minsk has remained largely silent, the Taliban’s agriculture ministry has actively posted about the delegation’s visit, and Afghan news websites have reported on the trip. The Ariana news website described the visit as a high-level Afghan delegation exploring modern production technologies with the possibility of establishing similar ventures in Afghanistan.
Afghan news reports primarily featured images showing only male delegates, which resonated with some Belarusians who noted the resemblance to the mujahedin who fought the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The visit has also stirred memories of the Soviet-Afghan war, in which many Belarusians participated, and over 700 were killed.
The Taliban’s visit to Belarus follows another controversial visit to Moldova in early August, which prompted Moldova’s Foreign Ministry to clarify that there would be no official contacts with the delegation. An investigation is underway to determine how the Afghan representatives obtained visas for Moldova.
Russia remains the only country to have formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government after the US-led international forces withdrew in 2021. Meanwhile, other countries like China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan maintain ties with the Taliban without official recognition.