Taliban government's continued non-recognition 'could become world's problem'
The Taliban on Saturday warned the United States that continued non-recognition of the Afghanistan government could become a problem for the world. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the reason for the war in Afghanistan was that the US did not form diplomatic ties with the group. No country has formally recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan yet.
Why does it matter?
The Taliban had seized power in Afghanistan this August. Several countries, including Pakistan, China, and Iran, have maintained contact with the Taliban leadership. However, no formal recognition has been accorded to the government yet. The Taliban is desperate for recognition as the country faces an economic and humanitarian crisis. The interim government also does not have access to its own or foreign funds.
What did Mujahid say?
Mujahid told reporters, "Our message to America is if unrecognition continues, Afghan problems continue, it is a problem of the region and could turn into a problem for the world." Referring to the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan, he said, "Those issues which caused the war, they could have been solved through negotiation, they could have been solved through political compromise too."
Foreign officials meet Taliban leadership
Senior officials from several countries have met with the Taliban leadership since August. The latest visit was by Turkmen Foreign Minister Rasit Meredow this week. The two sides reportedly discussed the speedy implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, Mujahid had earlier tweeted.
China to finance transport infrastructure: Mujahid
Meanwhile, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had also met Taliban officials in Qatar earlier this week. China had promised to finance the war-torn country's transport infrastructure, Mujahid said. Beijing has also agreed to provide access to Afghanistan's exports to the Chinese market via Pakistan, he added. Notably, China has repeatedly indicated that it wants a friendly relation with the Taliban.
Border crossings discussed with Pakistan
Separately, Mujahid also talked about issues pertaining to border crossings with Pakistan. The border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan are crucial for the latter, which is a landlocked country. However, these crossings have recently been witnessing frequent closures and protests. Mujahid said the matter had been discussed with Pakistan's Foreign Minister when he visited Kabul last week.
Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August
It has been over two months since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. The group's military victory came after the US decided to withdraw troops as per a peace deal with the Taliban. Notably, the US had fought a two-decades-long war with the group after the Taliban refused to hand over al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden following the infamous September 9, 2001 attacks.
