FM shares Afghanistan’s problems with UN team

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi wants the global fraternity to act positively on issues facing Afghanistan, including the caretaker government’s recognition and travel bans on IEA officials.

At a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammad in Kabul on Wednesday, Muttaqi also called for lifting restrictions on banking system. He said the Afghans had been faced with problems due to such issues.

Amina Mohammad said the aim of their trip was to see everything closely and convey the message from the international community on women’s education and work to the interim government of Afghanistan.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi tweeted that the UN official and the senior delegates accompanying her met Muttaqi late on Wednesday.

The acting foreign minister hoped the UN delegation would project the real image of Afghanistan to the international community.

Muttaqi said: “Initially, we faced some problems but majority of them have luckily been resolved now. The level of poppy cultivation has fallen to zero and security has been restored.”

Less than 19 million students were pursuing an education, with a large number of females working in education and health sectors, the minister explained.

Those working in different offices regularly received their salaries, he said, adding the number of female prisoners was small. Many commerce facilities had been created, he claimed.

Thousands of drug addicts were under treatment at 83 rehabilitation centres across the country, the foreign minister said, seeking cooperation from the international community in this regard.

Non-recognition of the Islamic Emirate, the refusal to remove travel bans on its officials and continued restrictions on the Afghan banking system had created numerous problems for the people, he said, urging the world to take steps address the issues.

Balkhi wrote Amina Mohammad said the aim of their visit was to closely watch the situation of women’s educations and work and to convey the message of international community to the IEA.

The UN and the international community remained focused on continued humanitarian assistance to and interaction with Afghanistan, the visiting diplomat said.

She promised the delegation would share its views about the current situation in the country with the world and take key steps in terms of assistance to Afghanistan.

The delegation earlier visited Afghanistan's neighbours and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and held talks there on the need for giving Afghan women and girls their due rights.

Last month, the caretaker government slammed the doors of university education female students and banned women from working NGOs, sparking harsh reactions from the international community.

However, officials have repeatedly said they are trying to find a solution to the issue in light of Islamic teaching and national values.

aw/mud