Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Muttaqi demands immediate release of frozen funds by US
Kabul, June 24 (UNI) The Afghan Taliban government's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on the United States to immediately release the country's foreign reserves, calling the freezing of its assets by the US illegal, reports Tolo News.
Muttaqi stressed that the US decision has severely disrupted the natural course of Afghanistan's economic development, impacting its already debilitated treasury.
Muttaqi also urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to help Afghanistan battle its socio-economic challenges, and fulfil their humanitarian and religious duties by using all their resources to lift the US sanctions.
In his statement, Muttaqi said: "After two decades of war in Afghanistan, the US has frozen the national wealth of the Afghan people, creating major challenges for the country's natural economic growth.
'I once again call on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its member states to ensure the release of Afghanistan's frozen central bank assets without further delay or obstacles."
Referring to Afghanistan's strategic location in the heart of Asia, Muttaqi noted that the country has the potential to become a vital hub for trade and transit among Islamic nations.
He added: "Afghanistan, recognised as the heart of Asia, is ready to serve as a key gateway for transit, trade, and economic connectivity among Islamic countries.
'We are prepared to play a constructive role within the framework of the OIC Strategic Economic Agenda in areas such as regional connectivity, energy, logistics, and investment.'
Citing the importance of boosting domestic production and exports to counter the negative effects caused by the US sanctions, economic analyst Mir Shakir Yaqubi speaking to Tolo News said "In order to mitigate the negative effects of sanctions and global restrictions imposed on Afghanistan, the government must fulfil certain essential responsibilities. One of these is enhancing domestic production capacities.
'Achieving this requires cooperation from neighbouring countries so that Afghanistan can at least play an effective role in transport, transit, and global trade systems. Additionally, alongside boosting production capacities, export volumes must also be increased."
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