Not A Single Country Promised Recognition to Taliban, Says Group’s Deputy FM

The Taliban’s deputy foreign minister Sher Abbas Stanekzai said that so far not a single country has promised to recognise the Taliban government.

In an interview with TOLOnews, Stanekzai said that if the United States recognises the government of the Taliban, all other countries will follow.

However, a spokesperson of the US State Department had previously said that the recognition of the Taliban is not possible.

Two years have passed since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, so far, no country, even the countries that oppose the US or those with close relations with the Taliban, have recognised the group’s government.

The formation of an inclusive government, respect for human rights, and the Taliban's commitment to international laws are among the issues that many countries have mentioned as conditions for the recognition of the Taliban.

Despite the repeated demands of the Taliban for recognition, the international community said that the recognition of the Taliban depends on ensuring the fundamental rights of women and other human rights values in Afghanistan.

However, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister described the current US-Taliban ties as "normal" relations between the two sides and said that "interactions and mutual negotiations between the United States and the Taliban are ongoing”.

Stanekzai mentioned the appointment of the Charge d'Affaires of the US embassy for Afghanistan in Doha and the meeting of the Taliban delegation with the diplomats of the Western countries as an example of the engagement of the United States with the Taliban.

Stanekzai added that the US had no relationship with the previous Taliban regime, but Washington has now maintained ties with the Taliban government.

He claimed that the US supports the current government of the Taliban and does not cooperate financially and militarily with the opponents of the group.