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Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister under the caretaker Taliban regime, Amir Khan Muttaqi in an op-ed for Al Jazeera, said that the primary cause of the ongoing economic crisis in the country is the imposition of sanctions and banking restrictions by the US. He said that this impedes and delays efforts to address the humanitarian crisis, Tolo News reported.
The op-ed is titled: "Afghanistan is ready to work with the US, but sanctions must go." Muttaqi said that a unique opportunity has emerged to embark on rapprochement between Afghanistan and the world. "We also understand that the globalised nature of modern relations means that all state actors must learn to live in harmony and peace with one another," he said. "Such relations should be founded on the immutable principles of equality, mutual respect and cooperation through the pursuit of shared interests. Bearing this in mind, the current government of Afghanistan once again extends its hand of positive engagement to the world," he said, according to Tolo News. Muttaqi also wrote about the achievements of the Islamic Emirate since it came to power "despite the fact that we inherited a collapsed narco-state, with an emptied treasury, unpaid bills, millions of drug addicts, rampant corruption, universal poverty and unemployment and a stagnant economy." An international relations analyst, Nematullah Bizhan, recently said that: "The Taliban are trying to define their relations with the world. This is the need of the two sides." Afghanistan's new leaders believe in dialogue and an exchange of ideas, Muttaqi said, "but it takes two hands to clap." He called on the international community to respect Afghanistan's independence, saying "the religious and cultural sensibilities call for a cautious approach." The international community has repeatedly called for human rights, women's education, counter-terrorism efforts and assurances that Afghan soil will not be used by groups to attack foreign soil, as well as the formation of an inclusive government as preconditions for engagement with the Islamic Emirate, according to Tolo News. "The US and international community are currently focused on the civil and political rights of the people and the issue of governance, which are the obstacles in the way if recognition," said Javid Javid, another international relations analyst, as quoted by Tolo News. It has been nearly two years since the Islamic Emirate swept into power but it has yet to be formally recognized by any country. (ANI)
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