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Taliban delegation has asked US administration to unfreeze Kabul's financial assets enabling it to function as the government as it faces a tough economic crisis in the talks held in Doha, Qatar.
A delegation of US officials led by Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West met a Taliban delegation led by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, according to News International. Further, the US State Department spokesperson said that the two delegations discussed the international community's ongoing and urgent response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. "The United States remains committed to ensuring that US sanctions do not limit the ability of Afghan civilians to receive humanitarian support from the US government and international community while denying assets to sanctioned entities and individuals," the statement mentioned. Earlier US has frozen $ 9.5 Billion assets belonging to the Afghan central bank and stopped shipments of cash to the nation. Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that Afghan FM Muttaqi exchanged views about political, economic, health, education, security and humanitarian issues, including discussions about necessary facilities in banking and liquidity availability. "The Afghan side assured the US officials about security and sought immediate unconditional unfreezing of Afghan reserves, ending of sanctions and blacklists, and disconnecting humanitarian issues from political considerations," Abdul Balkhi said. Earlier, the US treasury department has issued general licenses to support the continued flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and other activities that support basic human needs. Afghanistan since the take over of the Taliban in August this year has been struggling financially with their bank's assets being frozen by the US and International Community. (ANI)
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