The Afghan Traders' Council in the UAE said that the US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, pledged to help remove the banking problems in Afghanistan.

The head of the council, Obaidullah Sadarkhail, said that the Afghan traders are currently facing troubles in their business due to banking issues.

“They have clearly pledged that they don’t sanction those traders who are carrying out food, fuel and medicine businesses and that they will work to solve the banking problems,” he said.

The Afghan Traders Council in the UAE called for Washington to release the Afghan assets.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again called on the international community to lift sanctions on Afghanistan.

“The Islamic Emirate is asking the world to give the Afghans the most basic right which is the right to life, and to do this by lifting the sanctions and unfreezing our assets, and also by giving assistance after destroying lives for twenty years,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters.

The Afghan Traders Council in UAE urged the Islamic Emirate to remain committed to its agreement in Doha.

The former head of the Union of Banks in Afghanistan, Seyar Qureshi, said that the release of the Afghan assets depends on the fulfilment of the Doha agreement signed between the Islamic Emirate and the US.

“The formation of an inclusive government, respecting human rights, efforts to prevent the use of Afghanistan’s geography against the US and its allies due to terrorism--these are some other matters which are not yet solved,” he said.

After the Islamic Emirate swept into power, nearly $10 billion worth of Afghan assets were frozen in Europe and US banks. The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly called for the release of the funds.