Afghan foreign Minister urges countries to engage with new gov’t
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi has criticised the United States for its actions towards the new Taliban government and for severing economic assistance after the group seized power last month.
Muttaqi said that the group would not allow any country to impose sanctions or embargoes on Afghanistan, including the US.
“We helped the US until the evacuation of their last person, but unfortunately, the US, instead of thanking us, froze our assets,” he said.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have cut off Afghanistan’s access to funds, resulting in a widespread liquidity crunch in the cash-dependent economy, since Taliban took control of the capital.
Muttaqi thanked the international community for pledging more than $1bn of aid for Afghanistan at a UN donor conference on Monday.
“We welcome the pledge of emergency aid funding committed to Afghanistan during meeting hosted by the UN,” he said.
According to the World Bank, foreign aid makes up some 40 percent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product.
Muttaqi said the government was willing to work with any country, including the US, but said it will not be dictated to by any state.
French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian said France refuses to recognise or have any type of relationship with a Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.
UN chief Antonio Guterres remarked at the donor conference that it would be impossible to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan without engaging with the Taliban.
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Kamila/Al-Jazeera
