Taliban are facing critical economic challenges in Afghanistan, and there is no clear path for unfreezing around $10 billion in government funds
On Wednesday, the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that at the moment, the issue of recognizing the Taliban interim government in Afghanistan is not a priority, but the international community is now in coordination with each other to help Afghanistan which is dealing with economic and humanitarian challenges.
The foreign minister told an international conference in Doha, the capital of Qatar, that the Taliban is a de facto power in the war-ravaged country, and isolating Afghanistan would be a worse mistake because it would mean punishing the people of Afghanistan for something they didn’t commit. He added that the world couldn’t wait for steps that the Taliban would take, and then they react to these steps.
“Al Thani noted the new rulers in #Kabul are facing critical economic challenges and there is no clear path for unfreezing about $10 billion in #Afghan government funds, mostly parked in the U.S. federal reserve.” https://t.co/bG894REf7u
Al Thani said that he believes the global community has a responsibility to direct those steps of the Taliban and to have a transparent roadmap in dealing with the situation. Foreign ministers and heads of government from twenty leading economies of the world, the G-2o agreed during a video conference to look at ways to inject more aid into Afghanistan in an effort to combat the humanitarian crisis.
Previously, the United Nations (UN) warned that the Afghan economy is approaching a humanitarian crisis unless the world leaders take urgent action. So, Al Thani said they need to find the best way forward, not to unrestraint the war-ravaged country, and everyone now is in line to move forward without talking about the recognition at this stage.
No Clear Path for Unfreezing About $10 Billion of Afghanistan Funds
Doha hosts the political office of the Taliban, and the Qatari administration is facilitating and sponsoring the dialogs of the Islamic group with the Western governments and the United States. On the other hand, the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister noted that the new rulers in Kabul are facing severe economic challenges. Unfortunately, there is no proper way for unfreezing around ten billion U.S. dollars in Afghan government funds, mostly parked in the federal reserves of the United States.
He said that the financial system of the country collapsed completely and public servants remained unpaid, and the assets of the government were frozen without a clear path forward. Further, he added that without access to those funds, the Islamic group leaders wouldn’t be able to pay salaries to doctors, teachers, and other employees in other key social sectors. So the Qatari official told one day after Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban Foreign Minister reclaims his demand for withdrawing the ban on Afghan assets.
Muttaqi warned on 12th October’s meeting with U.S. and European representatives in Doha that efforts to pressurize his administration through sanctions would destabilize the security of Afghanistan and the rest of the world. The Taliban foreign minister cited Muttaqi and said that the undermining of the Afghan government is not in the interest of any country because its adverse effects will directly affect the world in general in the security sector and economical migration from Afghanistan.
Taliban Should Keep Promises during the Establishing the Government
Western countries, including the United States, emphasized the Islamic group leaders to keep the promises while forming an inclusive Afghan government, such as protect the human rights of women, minorities, combat terrorism, and wouldn’t restrict the freedom of expression. Muttaqi said that his government urges world nations to pull out existing sanctions and let banks usually operate so that charity organizations, groups, and the Afghan government can pay salaries to their employees with their own reserves and global financial assistance.
No Proper Way for Unfreezing Afghan Funds & Recognize Taliban – Qatar Source: Web
An Afghan Australian owner of the top 24-hour TV network, TOLO News, Saad Mohseni, told the Doha conference that the Taliban leaders didn’t fraught their work so far. He said that unexpectedly if the situation is as it is today in the coming six months, he would be very happy. Up till now, it is good. However, Mohseni also raised his concerns that the Taliban hadn’t the bandwidth to deal with the media and the civil society. He forecasted a more restrictive environment in the media industry under the administration of Taliban leaders.
Ned Price, the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, echoed Tuesday that the current engagement of Washington with the Taliban leaders doesn’t mean it is moving to grant any type of recognition or transfer of legitimacy on the group. Moreover, he told reporters that the world would determine it by the Taliban conduct in any future Afghan government. Price said that the Islamic Group leaders would eventually judge solely with their actions, not only words.
