Taliban seek urgent unfreezing of Afghan reserves

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of US officials led by Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West called on a Taliban delegation led by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday.

A statement issued by spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said that Afghan FM Muttaqi exchanged views about political, economic, health, education, security and humanitarian issues, including discussions about necessary facilities in banking and liquidity availability, Geo.tv reported.

Taking to Twitter, Balkhi said that the Afghan side assured the US officials about security and sought immediate unconditional unfreezing of Afghan reserves, ending of sanctions and blacklists, and disconnecting humanitarian issues from political considerations.

Technical groups from both sides also held separate meetings for even better progress, said Balkhi. Overall, the sessions were positive and both sides agreed to continue such meetings moving forward.

“The overall talks remained successful and the parties agreed to continue holding such meetings,” Balkhi added. Meanwhile, another statement issued by the US State Department spokesperson said that the two delegations discussed the international community’s ongoing and urgent response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

“The United States remains committed to ensuring that US sanctions do not limit the ability of Afghan civilians to receive humanitarian support from the US government and international community while denying assets to sanctioned entities and individuals,” the statement read.

It further stated that the US treasury department has issued general licenses to support the continued flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and other activities that support basic human needs.

During the meeting, the US officials urged the Taliban to protect the rights of all Afghans, uphold and enforce its policy of general amnesty, and take additional steps to form an inclusive and representative government.