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The Taliban delegation urged that the US administration unfreeze Kabul’s financial assets during discussions in Doha, Qatar, allowing it to function as a government in the midst of a grave economic crisis.
An Afghan Taliban group led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with a US mission led by Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West, according to News International.
According to a statement released by the US State Department, the two teams also talked about the international community’s continued and urgent response to the humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan.
“The US remains committed to ensuring that US sanctions do not block Afghan civilians’ ability to receive humanitarian relief from the US government and the international community while denying assets to sanctioned businesses and individuals,” the statement stated.
The US has previously frozen $9.5 billion in Afghan central bank assets and halted cash flows to the country.
Afghan FM Muttaqi and Taliban spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi discussed political, economic, health, education, security, and humanitarian issues, including the need for banking and liquidity, according to Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan spokeswoman Abdul Qahar Balkhi.
“The Afghan side reassured US officials on security and asked the unconditional unfreezing of Afghan reserves, the lifting of sanctions and blacklists, and the separation of humanitarian and political concerns,” Abdul Balkhi stated.
Previously, the US Treasury Department issued general permissions to allow for the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid and other activities that serve the Afghan people’s basic human needs.
Since the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan in August of this year, the US and international community have frozen its bank accounts, causing the country to struggle financially.
