Taliban: US Sanctions on Central Bank against Doha Accords

The Foreign Minister in Afghanistan's interim government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, asserted that the complete implementation of the Doha agreement would open up a new chapter of relations between the governments of Afghanistan and the United States, demanding the US to release Afghan assets.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry released a statement by Muttaqi today which read "I present to you our compliments and would like to share a few thoughts on our bilateral relations," Muttaqi wrote, noting that 2021 was the centenary of Washington recognizing Afghanistan's sovereignty. 

He further noted that the new government in Afghanistan is interested in holding positive relations with all world governments, including that US administration, noting that the US' sanctioning of the assets of Afghanistan's Central Bank goes against the Doha agreement between Washington and the Taliban.

Muttaqi asked Washington to take responsible steps to remedy that humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan and to remove sanctions on Afghan assets.

Washington held its first talks with the Taliban after its withdrawal from Afghanistan in early October.

The Afghan government was prevented from accessing its assets in the US, including $9.5 billion of assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank that Washington has seized. The aid-dependent economy has effectively collapsed -- with civil servants unpaid for months and the treasury unable to pay for imports.