Muttaqi meets West, renews call for return of assets

KABUL (Pajhwok); Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held talks with US Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West in Turkey.

Minister of Information and Culture Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah also attended the meeting on the current political and economic situation in Afghanistan, the ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani also attended the trilateral discussions,

Afghanistan and the US agreed the Afghan central bank’s $3.5 billion unfrozen assets would under no circumstances be given to charity organisations, a statement from the ministry said.

The Muttaqi-led team reiterated its stance that Afghanistan’s $7 billion reserves in the US must be returned in full to the Afghan central bank.

Seizing Afghan reserves in any way would adversely affect relations between the two countries, the foreign minister warned at Friday’s meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF).

Muttaqi also renewed the Taliban’s call for the recognition of the new government, calling it a legitimate right of the Afghans.

He insisted the current situation in Afghanistan was more conducive to positive and diplomatic engagement with the international community than ever before.

The US diplomat hailed the meeting as “a win-win situation”, saying he discussed Washington’s future policy on Afghanistan. “We are trying to get Afghanistan’s economy back on its feet.”

Muttaqi is scheduled meet representatives of diplomatic missions from various countries over the next two days.

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