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Germany Opposes Taliban Request to Speak to UN

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday voiced his country’s opposition to the request of the acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi to address the United Nations General Assembly. 

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Muttaqi in a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres requested to address the UNGA. 

Muttaqi has appointed Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman of Taliban’s political office, as the Afghan envoy to UN, Reuters reported. 

Maas, however, said that addressing the UN serves no purpose. “To schedule a show at the United Nations won’t serve anything,” he said. 

According to Maas, actions and upholding commitments are more important and will be what the international community will judge the caretaker cabinet based on. 

“What’s important are concrete deeds and not just words, including on human rights and in particular the rights of women and on an inclusive government and distancing from terrorist groups,” Maas said. 

Maas added, however, it is good to communicate with the caretaker cabinet in Kabul. 

Afghanistan is still represented at the UN by the ambassador from the former government. 

Currently, the UN credential committee is reviewing the request, but it is not known who might address the UN assembly, which will end in four days. 

Muttaqi addressing a ceremony in Kabul on Thursday said the Taliban wants good relationships with the world’s countries.  

“We want lasting relations with the world’s countries, and they should not pressure us because continuing the pressure neither benefits Afghanistan nor the world countries,” he said.  

Analysts’ views on the request to address the UN, and the appointment of new envoy, are divided. Some say the UN might not give a chance to the Taliban to address it because it is not recognized by many nations, while others say the new envoy might be accepted because the former government does not exist anymore. 

“We do not think that the UN will accept the Taliban's request to address the UNGA on behalf of Afghanistan, because no country has recognized them so far,” said Mohammad Khan Andar, an international relations analyst. 

“The ambassador of the former government is not an official envoy at this point, and the UN, for the sake of recognition, might give the Taliban a chance to send its envoy to the UN,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst. 

Germany Opposes Taliban Request to Speak to UN

Maas said the Taliban must show "concrete deeds," and their addressing the UN would serve no purpose. 

تصویر بندانگشتی

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday voiced his country’s opposition to the request of the acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi to address the United Nations General Assembly. 

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Muttaqi in a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres requested to address the UNGA. 

Muttaqi has appointed Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman of Taliban’s political office, as the Afghan envoy to UN, Reuters reported. 

Maas, however, said that addressing the UN serves no purpose. “To schedule a show at the United Nations won’t serve anything,” he said. 

According to Maas, actions and upholding commitments are more important and will be what the international community will judge the caretaker cabinet based on. 

“What’s important are concrete deeds and not just words, including on human rights and in particular the rights of women and on an inclusive government and distancing from terrorist groups,” Maas said. 

Maas added, however, it is good to communicate with the caretaker cabinet in Kabul. 

Afghanistan is still represented at the UN by the ambassador from the former government. 

Currently, the UN credential committee is reviewing the request, but it is not known who might address the UN assembly, which will end in four days. 

Muttaqi addressing a ceremony in Kabul on Thursday said the Taliban wants good relationships with the world’s countries.  

“We want lasting relations with the world’s countries, and they should not pressure us because continuing the pressure neither benefits Afghanistan nor the world countries,” he said.  

Analysts’ views on the request to address the UN, and the appointment of new envoy, are divided. Some say the UN might not give a chance to the Taliban to address it because it is not recognized by many nations, while others say the new envoy might be accepted because the former government does not exist anymore. 

“We do not think that the UN will accept the Taliban's request to address the UNGA on behalf of Afghanistan, because no country has recognized them so far,” said Mohammad Khan Andar, an international relations analyst. 

“The ambassador of the former government is not an official envoy at this point, and the UN, for the sake of recognition, might give the Taliban a chance to send its envoy to the UN,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst. 

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