KABUL: Countries should respect the governance and development choices of Afghanistan’s Taliban government, the country’s caretaker foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan al-Muttaqi told foreign delegates at a meeting in Kabul on Monday.
The meeting was attended by officials from Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan and aimed to improve relations between Afghanistan and its neighbors.
In his opening speech, Muttaqi said that the “imposed import model” has not worked in Afghanistan and that “foreign prescriptions”, including the plan proposed by the United Nations, “have brought nothing but war, instability and occupation. ” he said.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan respects the interests, choices, government structures and development models of other countries, and in return, other countries respect Afghanistan’s interests, governance and development choices,” he said in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We hope that the development model will be respected.”
“Afghanistan does not seek confrontation or controversy with any side, but rather always emphasizes active engagement. Our choices are therefore respected. It is better to address the interests of
The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 after a two-decade war that has killed tens of thousands of Afghans. Following their takeover, US troops withdrew and the Washington-backed government led by Ashraf Ghani collapsed.
The new rulers are not officially recognized by any country, and most countries closed their embassies in Kabul soon after the group returned to power.
In September, China became the first country to send an ambassador to Afghanistan since its occupation, but the Chinese government has since said it will pursue a “moderate and enlightened” policy towards Islamic groups in order to gain formal recognition and more. He repeated his long-standing request.
An independent assessment commissioned by the United Nations last year showed that recognition of the Taliban government was linked to Afghanistan’s compliance with international treaty obligations and commitments. Its obligations and commitments call for the immediate lifting of the sweeping restrictions on women’s rights to education and employment opportunities introduced by the new regime. rulers.
Muttaqi said on Monday that regional cooperation should include “respecting each other’s choices of indigenous peoples and traditional development models.”
He also called for the lifting of sanctions on Afghanistan that were imposed after the Taliban’s return and contributed to worsening the war-torn country’s economic and humanitarian crisis.
“We believe that there is a consistent relationship between the economic progress and development of Afghanistan and the region. This economic dependency requires further strengthening of regional collaboration,” he said. Stated.
Faiz Mohammad Zaland, assistant professor of public administration and policy at Kabul University, said the Taliban’s foreign engagements helped to “directly link” Afghanistan to the world.
“It also helps us gain international credibility,” he told Arab News.
Abdul Waheed Waheed, an international relations expert based in the Afghan capital, said Monday’s meeting was an opportunity for Afghanistan to seek formal recognition of “support and assistance” from the international community.
“Afghanistan’s main goal in this regional meeting will be to promote peace, stability and development in the region. It will also strengthen relations with neighboring and regional countries and seek support in addressing common challenges. We also aim to do so.”