AVA - Muttaqi: Talks Were Positive With US envoys in Doha

The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs says his talks with US special envoys were very positive and both sides agreed to the continuation of interaction in the political, economic and security fields.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, In a conversation with Al Jazeera, Muttaqi said respect for Afghanistan’s national sovereignty was emphasized, and the Islamic Emirate asked the US to lift sanctions and unfreeze the country’s frozen assets.

Muttaqi said he also told the US delegation that the IEA would not allow any group to use Afghanistan against another country, America.

“We assured them during the meeting with the American delegation that Afghanistan’s soil will never be used against any country, including the United States and its allies and partners. In Afghanistan, national security prevails, and this is something that America itself admits. Our fight against Daesh has been successful, which the world also mentions.

“The insecurities have decreased in an unprecedented way and the security and defense forces of Afghanistan provide national security in every corner of Afghanistan and protect the stability and sovereignty of the country,” he said.

The US meanwhile raised the issue of human rights and of American prisoners in Afghanistan. The US has not however made it known how many Americans are in Afghan custody.

“We want to solve the issue of foreign detainees in Afghanistan in a way that all parties are satisfied. In our talks with the American delegation, it was emphasized on removing the travel restrictions for the officials of the IEA and returning the frozen assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan. We believe that these measures will play an important role in building trust between the two countries,” said Muttaqi.

Muttaqi also met with Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Lulwa Al Khater in Doha, the foreign ministry tweeted late Wednesday.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the foreign ministry, said Muttaqi presented detailed information to Al Khater on the situation in Afghanistan and urged her to provide assistance in a number of sectors.

Al Khater said the Qatar Charity Organization has started providing assistance to Afghans in different areas. “We remain committed to providing assistance to Afghanistan’s health sector, education, agriculture, sports, and so on,” she said.

“We are working on establishing a mechanism to start these projects as soon as possible in coordination with the Afghan government,” she added.