The “Taliban” warns of sanctions and the arrival of refugees in the West

The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan has warned of the arrival of refugees if sanctions against the United States and the European Union continue, while the United States says there have been “productive talks” with the Taliban with humanitarian assistance. The Doha and Qatari mediators said there was no clear path to freeze Afghanistan’s funds in the talks, while the Russian-led security camp is conducting military exercises near the Afghan border.

Barriers and the arrival of refugees

The new Taliban government has warned US and EU ambassadors that continued pressure on the movement through sanctions will undermine security and lead to a new wave of refugees.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki during a recent meeting with Western diplomats in Doha said, “Weakening the Afghan government will not benefit anyone because it will directly affect the world in the field of defense, and lead to economic displacement from fleeing the country.” In a statement issued late.

According to the statement, Mohaki said during the Doha meeting, “We demand that the nations of the world lift sanctions and allow banks to operate normally so that charities and the government can pay their employees’ salaries from their own reserves and internationally.” European countries in particular fear that if the Afghan economy collapses, many immigrants will leave for Europe, increasing pressure on neighboring Pakistan and Iran and on the European border. Washington and the European Union have expressed their willingness to support humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, but are reluctant to provide direct support to the Taliban without guaranteeing that human rights, especially women’s rights, will be respected.

Useful conversations

U.S. State Department spokesman Netflix said during the Qatar meeting that “productive discussions” took place between the United States and the Taliban over the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Officials discussed humanitarian access during two-day meetings between U.S. officials, including Taliban representatives and intelligence and USIIT officials.

There is no clear way to freeze funds

The Qatari foreign minister told a conference on Wednesday that there was no clear path for Afghan government funds to highlight the economic challenges facing Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Most of the Afghan central bank’s $ 10 billion assets have been frozen overseas. Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani reiterated Doha’s position that recognizing the Taliban government is not a priority at present and that international relations with it are important.

Military exercises on the border with Afghanistan

On Wednesday, the Russian Information Agency announced that a Russian-led security camp covering the border with or near Afghanistan would conduct military exercises in Tajikistan, near the Afghan border, on October 22 and 23.

The camp includes the following: Joint Security Agreement Organization, Tajikistan, which shares extensive borders with Afghanistan, as well as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Belarus (Belarus). On Wednesday, the Kremlin stressed the importance of exercises conducted by the forces of the Joint Security Agreement near the borders of Afghanistan. “These are very necessary exercises,” said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the president. During their last meeting, the leaders of the six member states of the Joint Security Agreement expressed concern over the progress being made in Afghanistan.

He added that due to the difficulty in predicting the development of this situation, the organization should “move forward in developing ways and means for cooperation between the military”.

Spain deports refugees

A day after the first flight carrying people who worked for Madrid in Afghanistan arrived, a second plane carrying Afghan refugees has arrived in Spain from Pakistan.

The plane, carrying about 160 people, arrived at the Torrejan de Ardos airport outside Madrid on Tuesday evening. Official sources said 84 people had been on the plane since last Monday.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Al-Baris arrived in Pakistan and Qatar in early September to complete preparations, and Spain arranged for several weeks of deportation. When Western forces withdrew from the country where the Taliban seized power in mid-August, Madrid expelled more than 2,000 Afghans and their families who had worked in Spain.