Taliban acting FM calls for Iran's assistance to Afghanistan

The interim Taliban government foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the comments in a meeting with the deputy ambassador of Iran to Kabul Seyed Hassan Mortazavi in Afghanistan's capital.

In the meeting, the economic agreements which were agreed upon between Iran and the Taliban interim government in Afghanistan during the recent visit of the Iranian President's special envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi to Afghanistan were followed up on and the needs of the Afghan people for fuel and heating systems were emphasized.

Muttaqi expressed his appreciation for Iran's humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan and called on Tehran to use its international capacity to get Afghanistan out of the current situation and reduce economic pressures against the people of the country.

Regarding the increase of diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and other countries, the Taliban acting Foreign Minister said, "We are now ready for different countries at different levels of diplomacy to resume their activities in Afghanistan and we have authorized our representatives in other countries in a bid to resolve various problems faced by the Afghans in those countries."

Referring to some of the problems of the Afghan people, he noted, "We are ready for the international charities to start their activities in Afghanistan and we will cooperate extensively in that field."

The Taliban foreign minister made some remarks about the relationship between the new Afghan government and the United States, and said, "We will not give up on our principles and values and what is being said is, in fact, an attempt to achieve the rights of the Afghan people."

He lamented the handover to the Afghanistan seat in the United Nations to "irresponsible individuals."

Meanwhile, the deputy Iranian ambassador Mortazavi also met with Hamid Karzai, the former Afghan president in Kabul.

Referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran's assistance to the Afghan people, Karzai said in the meeting, "The international community must take into account the situation of the Afghan people and adjust their relations with the new government according to the current situation."

The former Afghan president also said that the people of Afghanistan cannot afford a new war, calling on everyone to work for stability, security and peace.

Karzai said also called on the Taliban caretaker government to accept with open arms the serious participation of the people in governance to save Afghanistan's future.

KI/FNA14000927000558;14000927000544