Talks between US and Taliban officials aimed at restoring Afghanistan’s frozen assets are expected in Qatar today.
The White House says the US administration is working hard to recover the funds, but a member of the Afghan central bank’s board says the final steps could be delayed.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki has arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for talks with Foreign Ministry and Central Bank officials.
According to the State Department, its Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tom West, will be part of the talks, which will address issues other than human rights and the opening of girls’ schools in Afghanistan.
A State Department spokesman made it clear that talks with Afghan officials did not mean recognizing the Taliban or their “so-called government” but that negotiations were ongoing to advance US interests.
It should be noted that after the Taliban came to power in August 2021, the United States had frozen 7 billion in assets in Afghanistan, while the international community had also banned the direct provision of financial aid.
In the absence of international aid, Afghanistan is facing an economic crisis, while in the absence of employment opportunities, unemployment has risen.
Funds are being demanded to be restored as soon as possible following the humanitarian crisis caused by last week’s devastating earthquake in Afghanistan.
The White House press secretary says the funds will be used properly to benefit the Afghan people, not the Taliban.
According to Shah Mehrabi, a member of the Afghan Central Bank’s Supreme Council, the United States could release at least 150 million a month to ensure payments for imports. He said that any impartial auditing company could monitor these funds and in case of misuse, their supply could be suspended.