Taliban Asks Western Countries To Take Part In Reconstruction Of Afghanistan

Abbas Stanikzai, Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, said that members of the international coalition which had a military presence in Afghanistan have an obligation to return to the country.

Stanikzai stressed that these countries had utilised various kinds of weapons in Afghanistan.

During a ceremony, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of private airlines, KamAir, in Afghanistan, he said that according to the Doha Agreement, the countries that had military troops in Afghanistan are "obliged" to return to the country and participate in the reconstruction of it.

According to the Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Stanikzai said that the group has fulfilled the responsibility of safely evacuating foreign forces, and now it is the West's responsibility to fulfil its promises regarding the revival of institutions in Afghanistan.

Stanikzai was the Taliban's chief negotiator during the group's peace talks with the United States in Doha.

Months after the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan in 2021, Stanikzai had said that he hoped that the US will reopen its Embassy in Kabul.

In 2021, Stanikzai had also announced that based on the Doha agreement, the US had committed that the country's embassy would remain open and active in Kabul.

At that time, he had added, "It is the responsibility of the world, especially the United States, to take an active part in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. As they destroyed our economy in the last twenty years, now it is their duty to return and take an active part in the reconstruction of the country's economy."

Stanikzai had also said that when US returns to Afghanistan, European countries will also open its embassies in Kabul.

However, despite repeated requests by the Taliban over the past two years, no government in the world has officially recognised the group's government in Afghanistan.

The European Union has a representative in Afghanistan to provide humanitarian aid, but the embassies of the European countries and the United States remain closed in Afghanistan.