Taliban delegation in Geneva calls for international talks

Kabul: A Taliban delegation currently on a five-day visit to Geneva has called for talks with the international community over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, according to media reports.

“We call on the international community to instruct all aid organisations to continue their humanitarian assistance without considering any political issues, and world countries should open their borders for the humanitarian assistance aiming to arrive to Afghanistan,” TOLO News quoted a statement issued by the delegation as saying on Friday.

Taking to Twitter late Friday night, Geneva Call said that the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has adopted a humanitarian declaration after high-level discussions in Geneva with our team.

“The declaration covers crucial issues including the protection and provision of healthcare and education for all Afghans; the respect of humanitarian aid and the safeguard of the environment and cultural heritage.”

Meanwhile, Taliban deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi told TOLO News that they have also held talks with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, European countries’ diplomats and officials from the Swiss Foreign Ministry.

“The delegation of the Islamic Emirate will meet some other officials of the organisations to facilitate aid to Afghanistan,” Karimi added.

With the fall of the former government in August 2021, the international community had imposed sanctions on Afghanistan including the suspension of international aid and the freezing of the country’s central bank assets of more than $9 billion.