Blinken: The Taliban must be held accountable for terrorism.
During a meeting with representatives of the United States in Washington, the US Secretary of State called on the Taliban to be held accountable for terrorism and to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a terrorist base.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Wednesday night with Washington’s foreign ministers on Afghanistan and the crisis caused by the US’s hasty departure, according to the International Group of News.
The meeting was attended by German Foreign Minister Haiku Moss and representatives from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, India, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Norway, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. , The United Arab Emirates, Britain, Uzbekistan, the European Union, NATO and the United Nations were present.
According to a statement issued by the US State Department, Blinken called on Washington’s allies to unite to address the potential humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and hold the Taliban accountable for terrorism.
The Secretary of State also called on the Taliban to commit to the freedom of departure of Afghans seeking to leave the country, to form an inclusive government, and to respect the fundamental rights of the Afghan people.
According to the statement, participants in the meeting agreed on the importance of remaining united in continuing to support the Afghan people.
“The United States continues to use political, economic, and diplomatic tools to protect the rights of the Afghan people, especially women and girls, as well as to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a base for terrorists,” the State Department concluded.
Earlier, European Commission Vice President Marus Sefkovic said the bloc was ready to provide assistance to Afghanistan, but said the new Taliban-led government in Kabul was being closely monitored. (More details)
Also yesterday, German Foreign Minister Haiku Moss expressed concern about the composition of the Taliban cabinet in Afghanistan, claiming that if the new Kabul government fails to run its affairs, it will face the risk of political and economic collapse.
On Tuesday, more than 20 days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the new Afghan government cabinet at a news conference. “In the next government, we will try to employ people from different ethnic groups, and we will try to involve all sections of Afghan society in the next government,” he said after announcing the cabinet members of the new Afghan government.
According to Mujahid, “Malahatullah Akhundzadeh” will remain the leader and the official name of the new government will be the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. “The group wants good relations with all countries,” Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera.
However, State Department spokesman Ned Price, expressing concern about some members of the new Taliban administration in Afghanistan, said Washington was judging the administration by action, not promise.
