KABUL, Aug 12 : The Afghan government has called on Western countries to hand over diplomatic missions to the current administration to restore full-fledged operations abroad, Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar and ambassador, told Sputnik.
“We have diplomats in more than 40 countries. We demand that embassies be handed over to us to provide consular services. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans live in the United States and a number of European countries. The presence of diplomats will ensure the provision of all necessary services,” Shaheen said.
He added that in the event of the deportation of Afghan citizens, the functioning diplomatic missions will be able to take all necessary measures.
It is also necessary to ensure the free movement of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi so that he can fully interact with the international community, Shaheen said.
“When we want to interact with the international community, we face difficulties created by the United Nations. I believe that Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is the Afghan foreign minister, should positively cooperate with other countries and try to find solutions to many problems. It is necessary that he has complete freedom of movement to make visits,” Shaheen said.
He also noted that the UN had previously temporarily lifted the ban, but now the restrictions affect any visit by the minister.
Last week, the Afghanistan International news portal reported that the UN Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee denied Muttaqi the formal exit permit required for Taliban officials under sanctions to travel abroad. Muttaqi was expected to lead an Afghan delegation that was scheduled to leave for a three-day official visit to Pakistan on August 4. However, the government later said the visit had been postponed “due to technical reasons.”
(UNI)
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