Taliban FM Asks US Congress to Unfreeze Afghanistan’s Assets

The interim Taliban government Wednesday wrote an open letter to the members of the US Congress, urging them to take “responsible steps towards addressing the humanitarian and economic crisis unfolding” in the war-torn country.

The letter, signed by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, said such steps will open doors for future relations, unfreeze assets of Afghanistan’s Central Bank and lift sanctions.

“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.

In measured understatement, he added: “Akin to other world countries, our bilateral relations have also experienced ups and downs.”

“Practical steps have been taken towards good governance, security and transparency,” Muttaqi wrote.

“No threat is posed to the region or world from Afghanistan and a pathway has been paved for positive cooperation.”

Over $9 billion Afghan foreign assets have been frozen by the US after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August following the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.

it was “quite surprising that with the announcement of the new government, the administration of the US slapped sanctions on the assets of our central bank.”

Since the signing of the Doha Agreement, he said the interim Taliban government “no longer find ourselves in direct conflict with one another nor are we a military opposition, what logic could possibly exist behind the freezing of our assets?”

The interim government, said Muttaqi, is of the “belief that freezing Afghan assets cannot resolve the problem at hand neither is it the demand of the American people, hence your government must unfreeze our capital.”