Ready to Discuss Release of Frozen Afghan Funds with Taliban, Says US Special Envoy

The conference, set to be held till July 26, will see the US delegation seeking the international community to underscore their support for the Afghan people and will call on the Taliban to fulfil their commitments to the Afghan people and the international community.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tashkent said the main objective behind the event was to promote stability, security, and post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan. A statement from the ministry, said the conference was focused on Afghanistan’s integration into regional cooperation processes.

On July 27, US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson, will join Special Representative West for a meeting with the Taliban to address the economic challenges faced by the Afghan people.

A Taliban delegation led by Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the group, too left for Uzbekistan to participate in the Tashkent Summit. The Taliban delegation will lobby for more support from the participating countries of the summit. On the other hand, Central Asian countries are expected to share their national security concerns emanating from Afghanistan with the Taliban officials.

Gul Mohammad Geran, the news manager of Salam Watandar Radio, said that Alauddin Erkin, a provincial reporter of the radio station, had been detained by the Taliban for two hours on Monday.

Geran said that Erkin had been detained as the result of a “misunderstanding”.

Media watchdog groups said that the Taliban have imposed severe pressure on journalists and restricted freedom of expression ever since it came to power last year.

In the latest case on Friday, July 24, the Taliban beat Selgai Ehsas, a local female journalist in Nangarhar province.

Markus Potzel said that they discussed “a wide range of issues including the importance of inclusive representation and decision making”.

Potzel had been recently appointed as the acting head of UNAMA and UN Sec Gen deputy special representative in Afghanistan. The German diplomat, who has worked in Afghanistan for many years, travelled to Nangarhar and Khost province too.

During his trip to Khost province, he met Sirajuddin Haqqani, Taliban’s acting minister of interior and representatives of local leaders from earthquake-affected areas.

The organisation stated that it will maintain regular and meaningful contact with all parties and will formulate plans to resolve the problems of Afghanistan by holding academic conferences.

The organisation has not introduced its leader, but has named several figures as members of its technical group. They include several former government officials, including Shahmahmood Miakhil, former Minister of Defense; Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, former ambassador of Afghanistan in Tehran; and Abdullah Raqibi, a former deputy minister of defense.

Other members of the organisation are Subhanullah Ludin, Sabrina Hamidi, Mahboob Shah Mahboob, Aziz Ahmadi, Maryam Zurmati and Faisal Jabarkhil.
In a statement published on social media, Shahmahmood Miakhil, has been introduced as the head of political relations and spokesperson of this political group.

NRF in a statement on Monday stressed that in the absence of a legitimate government, the participation of the anti-Taliban forces was essential for the summit.

Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations of the NRF, tweeted that Afghanistan enjoyed deep ties with Uzbekistan. He said that the two nations’ relations "are rooted in our common history and civilization”.

The Tashkent summit on Afghanistan started on Monday and will continue for two days. Representatives of 20 countries and international organizations have participated in the summit.

On Saturday, a Taliban delegation led by Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the group, left for Uzbekistan to participate in the Tashkent Summit.

On July 24, the Taliban delegation attended a banquet hosted by the Deputy National Security Council of Uzbekistan. The Tashkent summit has been held close on the heels of the first anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

It has been almost a year since the Taliban entered Kabul in August 15, 2021, but the group’s government has not been recognized by any country as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Taliban delegation will lobby for more support from the participating countries of the summit. On the other hand, Central Asian countries are expected to share their national security concerns emanating from Afghanistan with the Taliban officials.