Doha: The foreign minister of Taliban-appointed caretaker government in Afghanistan made an appeal for good relations on Monday but did not make any firm commitments on girls' education despite international demands, as per a report by zeenews.
Almost two months after the insurgent forces swept into Kabul, the new Taliban administration has pushed to build relations with other countries. "The international community need to start cooperating with us," acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said. "With this, we will be able to stop insecurity and at the same time with this, we will be able to engage positively."
Muttaqi repeated calls for the United States to lift a block on more than $9 billion of Afghan central bank reserves held outside the country but said the government had revenues of its own from taxes, customs tariffs and agriculture if the funds remain frozen
But the Taliban have so far refused to give ground on allowing girls to return to high school, one of the key demands of the international community.
Muttaqi said the Taliban's new Islamic Emirate government had only been in power for a few weeks and could not be expected to complete reforms the international community had not been able to implement in 20 years. "They had a lot of financial resources and they had a strong international backing and support but at the same time you are asking us to do all the reforms in two months," he asked.
The new administration has been criticised for its approach to girls' education, considered one of the limited numbers of unambiguously positive gains from the West's two decades of involvement in Afghanistan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Taliban had broken promises on guaranteeing rights for women and girls and there was no way the economy could be fixed if women were barred from work.
The Taliban reiterated their call for the international recognition of the new regime and unfreezing of the assets during talks with US officials in Doha. But According to Ned Price, the US delegation reiterated that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.
Muttaqi repeated calls for the United States to lift a block on more than $9 billion of Afghan central bank reserves held outside the country but said the government had revenues of its own from taxes, customs tariffs and agriculture if the funds remain frozen. "Instead of pressure, the world should cooperate with us."
Meanwhile the US side said that the delegations discussed turning the page on their relationship in Qatar. "As well as humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the implementation of the Doha peace agreement," Sputnik quoted Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as saying.
