The acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi said that the US-imposed sanctions on Afghanistan have hindered the activity of the current Afghan government.

Speaking at the Tashkent conference held on the Afghan situation, Muttaqi called the decades-long war and US sanctions as the main reasons for the poverty in Afghanistan.

“The 20-year war affected our country, our economic system is under US economic sanctions. Poverty is one of the main problems in our country. This action has not only prevented the transaction of money but also diminished the activities of our government which benefits only the people,” he said.

He said that the Islamic Emirate is ready to engage with the world based on mutual respect.

Muttaqi said that a destabilized Afghanistan is harmful for everyone.

“We call on the US to release Afghanistan’s Central Bank assets without any conditions and lift economic sanctions on Afghanistan. This is the main step for normalization of relations. This will have a positive impact on the minds of the Afghans toward the US,” he said.

A senior member of the Islamic Emirate, Anas Haqqani, who is also part of the delegation, said that the international community sees the need for engagement with Afghanistan.

“The world sees engagement with Afghanistan as a necessity. So far, many sides said positive things and we hope to hear good speeches and see good developments. The regional countries, including China, Russia and some other countries, have raised their voices to defend Afghanistan and have called for the release of Afghan assets,” he said.

Speaking at the conference, the Deputy National Security Adviser of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov, stressed the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. 

“The formation of an inclusive government means inclusion of all tribes in Afghanistan particularly women. This can help in the betterment of the current situation. We should cooperate with each other in countering the terrorism in Afghanistan,” he said. 
The European Union’s envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson tweeted that at the Tashkent conference he “underlined the serious human rights situation as reported by UNAMA, including the rights of women and girls, ethnic and sectarian groups - notably Hazaras and Shias - and media freedom.”

The conference in Tashkent comes as no country has so far recognized the current Afghan government.

However, diplomats of Pakistan, Iran, China and Russia as well as some other international countries are present in Afghanistan.