Taliban praise US position on Afghanistan in unusual show of approval

Taliban spokesman hails Washington, regional countries for pledging to lift economic restrictions on Afghanistan

KARACHI:

The Taliban’s interim administration in Kabul on Monday lauded the US, a rare acknowledgment after fighting its forces for nearly two decades, as well as other regional countries for "pledging" to lift restrictions on Afghanistan's banking and economic sectors.

"Today's meeting is progressing very well, with most countries expressing support for Afghanistan's private sector. It was pledged that restrictions on banking and economic avenues should be lifted," Afghan interim administration’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement as the two-day UN-hosted meeting on Afghanistan continued in the Qatari capital of Doha.

"The stances of Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, the United States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation were commendable," Mujahid added.

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This is the third such UN meeting that the Taliban have attended for the first time, as the international community has not recognized the interim administration in Afghanistan since their return to power in Aug. 2021.

Besides UN officials, over 20 envoys of various governments, including the US, Russia, and Pakistan, are attending the meeting.