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US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, on Sunday pledged to help remove the banking problems in Afghanistan in a meeting with the Afghan Traders' Council in the UAE.
Obaidullah Sadarkhail, head of the council explained the problems faced by Afghan traders to the US envoy West. He said that Afghan traders are currently facing troubles in their business due to banking issues, reported Tolo News. "They have clearly pledged that they don't sanction those traders who are carrying out food, fuel and medicine businesses and that they will work to solve the banking problems," he said. The council also raised the issue of Afghan frozen assets in the US and called for Washington to release the Afghan assets. Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs too called on the international community to lift sanctions on Afghanistan. "The Islamic Emirate is asking the world to give the Afghans the most basic right which is the right to life, and to do this by lifting the sanctions and unfreezing our assets," Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UK media. Meanwhile, the Afghan Traders Council in UAE urged the Taliban to remain committed to its agreement in Doha. The former head of the Union of Banks in Afghanistan, Seyar Qureshi, said that the release of the Afghan assets depends on the fulfilment of the Doha agreement signed between the Taliban and the US, reported Tolo News. "The formation of an inclusive government, respecting human rights, efforts to prevent the use of Afghanistan's geography against the US and its allies due to terrorism--these are some other matters which are not yet solved," he said. After the Taliban swept into power, nearly USD 10 billion worth of Afghan assets were frozen in Europe and US banks. Further, the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan has affected thousands of Afghans who are in need of clean water and food and are at risk of disease. At least 1,000 people were killed, 2,000 injured and 10,000 homes destroyed in Wednesday's earthquake. Helping thousands of Afghans is also a challenge for countries that had imposed sanctions on Afghan government bodies and banks, cutting off direct assistance, leading to a humanitarian crisis even before the earthquake. The United Nations and several other countries have rushed aid to the affected areas. Moreover, in the wake of a deadly earthquake, the Taliban has called for a rolling back of sanctions and lifting a freeze on billions of dollars in central bank assets stashed in Western financial institutions. (ANI)
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