KABUL (SW) – Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Acting Foreign Minister of the de-facto Islamic Emirate government, has urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to enhance their economic and trade relations with Afghanistan based on shared interests.
In his speech at the 50th session of the OIC in Cameroon, on Friday, Muttaqi called for practical steps to lift travel bans on Islamic Emirate officials, remove banking restrictions, and release Afghanistan’s frozen assets.
He said: “All countries should work seriously towards the release of the Central Bank of Afghanistan’s assets and the removal of economic sanctions and travel bans on the leaders of the Islamic Emirate. Our second request is that OIC member states and other countries engage in economic and trade partnerships with Afghanistan based on mutual legitimate interests.”
Muttaqi further noted that banking restrictions have impeded Afghanistan’s economic growth.
Meanwhile, experts on political and economic affairs believe that while the Islamic Emirate’s requests are reasonable for overcoming the current political and economic isolation of Afghanistan, the likelihood of a positive response is low given the ongoing confrontation with the international community and the lack of assertiveness within the OIC.
Shafiqullah Sadat, a political analyst, commented that the OIC is currently fragmented and influenced by the major powers of the world. He remarked, “The OIC has held meetings since its inception, but they have had little practical impact. Not all member states are committed to the resolutions issued. The organization is fragmented in terms of internal power and has a weak role in international relations.”
Qais Mohammadi, an economic expert, suggested that before the Islamic Emirate seeks to expand economic and trade relations with distant and neighboring countries, it must first address internal and external factors hindering economic growth in Afghanistan with reasonable policies.
He said, “To attract investment, we face challenges with electricity and fuel supplies. People lack purchasing power. If investors come, who will buy? We need to mobilize domestic Afghan capital from neighboring countries before attracting global investment to Afghanistan.”
Abdul Wahed Hakimi, an international relations expert, emphasized that overcoming Afghanistan’s current political and economic isolation and gaining international support requires a shift from a confrontational to a cooperative approach.
In his address at the OIC conference, Muttaqi also emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is committed to a “spirit of goodwill” with all nations and expects a similar approach from them.
