The visit of a high-level Kazakh delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, to Kabul in June 2026, marked an important development in Kazakhstan’s engagement with the Taliban-led government. While the visit resulted in economic agreements and humanitarian assistance, its significance extends beyond these immediate outcomes; it reflected Astana’s intention to expand political, economic, and regional cooperation with Kabul. Most importantly, it demonstrates the changing logic of Kazakhstan’s Afghan policy and, more broadly, the evolving approach of Central Asian states towards the Taliban government.