Participants of the first meeting of special representatives of Afghanistan's neighboring countries spoke in favor of unfreezing the country's financial assets in foreign banks, Ismatulla Irgashev, special envoy of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, said, Orient reports.
"Special representatives of Afghanistan's neighboring countries during their first meeting, which was held in Tashkent, called for the speedy unfreezing of Afghan assets held in the accounts of foreign banks, this is necessary to overcome the socio-economic crisis and improve the living conditions of millions of Afghans," Irgashev said at a briefing. following the meeting.
“The return of money from the Central Bank of Afghanistan should be directed primarily to paying salaries ... to school teachers and doctors, and to supporting that part of the population that is in a difficult situation,” Irgashev said.
During the meeting in Tashkent, representatives of Uzbekistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan, including the humanitarian aspect, human rights, and education for women and girls.
The US froze about $7 billion in central bank assets after the Afghan government was overthrown by the Taliban in 2021, and another $2 billion was frozen in European banks.
Washington said that part of the funds will go to the fund to help ordinary Afghans.
In February, the UN said that 6 million people in Afghanistan were at risk of starvation, and two-thirds of the population was suffering from severe hunger and urgently needed assistance.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 7, 2023