KABUL (SW) – A delegation led by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttai met with representatives and ambassadors of more than a dozen European countries in Doha, Qatar.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the participants in the meeting shared proposals and information on the situation in Afghanistan, the educational process and needs.
The ambassadors expressed their deepest condolences to the victims of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan and said that in view of the situation in Afghanistan, they wanted to increase humanitarian, educational and health assistance in Afghanistan.
They have also expressed concern about the economy in Afghanistan, said the statement.
Muttaqi said the EU envoys had raised some concerns, particularly about the economic situation, and that US sanctions on the banking sector had caused problems for Afghan businesses.
He assured that with the advent of the new government, the rights of all sections of the Afghan society have been protected and transparency has been established in all sectors.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said in a statement that Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West led another senior interagency delegation including representatives from the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue discussions with senior Taliban representatives and technocratic professionals in Doha, Qatar.
The United States expressed condolences for the loss of life and suffering in Afghanistan caused by recent earthquakes and outlined robust U.S. support, including $55 million in new assistance from USAID for the delivery of life-saving shelter, sanitation, and hygiene materials for affected populations, and to support the ongoing crisis across the country.
The two teams discussed the international community’s humanitarian support for Afghanistan, including over $774 million provided by the United States since August 2021.
In this regard, the United States registered concerns regarding increased interference by the Taliban in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Both sides agreed on the critical importance of maintaining uninterrupted access to basic healthcare throughout the country while addressing concerns regarding transparency in delivery of services. Regarding economic stabilization, the United States welcomed a recent payment of arrears owed to international financial institutions and discussed U.S. support for steps to enhance the availability of afghani currency in the economy. The two sides discussed in detail U.S. actions to preserve $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank reserves for the benefit of the Afghan people as well as steps to build international confidence in the central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank.
The Taliban’s ongoing and expanding restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls was a central focus of U.S. officials’ engagement with the Taliban, it said.
The United States supports the Afghan people’s demands that girls be allowed to return to school and that women be allowed to work, contribute to the country’s economic growth, and move and express themselves freely, lines of effort that Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri is leading in coordination with her inter-agency colleagues. Special Representative West made clear the critical linkage between progress on protection of Afghans’ rights and steps toward normalizing America’s ties with the Taliban.
The two sides noted an interest in additional exchanges regarding counternarcotics, and disaster response preparedness, it added.
The Taliban reiterated their pledge to not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used by anyone to threaten any country. U.S. officials expressed concern regarding the continuing presence of al-Qaida, ISIS-K, and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, said the State Department.
ENDS
