Afghan FM pledges Taliban govt won\`t allow militant attacks

Afghanistan s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has criticised the United States for its actions towards the new Taliban government and for severing economic assistance after the group seized power last month.

In his first address to the media since the Taliban announced its new caretaker government last week_ Muttaqi said on Tuesday that the group would not allow  any country to impose sanctions or embargoes on Afghanistan_ including the US.

 [We] helped the US until the evacuation of their last person_ but unfortunately_ the US_ instead of thanking us_ froze our assets_ he said.

Since the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital_ Kabul on August 15 as former President Ashraf Ghani fled the country_ the US Federal Reserve_ the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have cut off Afghanistan s access to funds_ resulting in a widespread liquidity crunch in the cash-dependent economy.

Muttaqi thanked the international community for pledging more than $1bn of aid for Afghanistan at a UN donor conference on Monday.

 We welcome the pledge of emergency aid funding committed to Afghanistan during yesterday s meeting hosted by the UN in Geneva_ he said.

No government has yet agreed to formally recognise the Taliban-led administration in Kabul_ which could further imperil the Afghan economy_ which has been highly dependent on foreign aid for the last 20 years. According to the World Bank_ foreign aid makes up some 40 percent of Afghanistan s gross domestic product.

Muttaqi said the government was willing to work with any country_ including the US_ but said it will not be  dictated to by any state. Last week_ French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France  refuses to recognise or have any type of relationship with a Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.

UN chief Antonio Guterres remarked at the donor conference that it would be  impossible to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan without engaging with the Taliban.

 I do believe it is very important to engage with the Taliban at the present moment for all aspects that concern the international community_ he said.

He told ministers that he believed aid could be used as leverage with the Taliban to achieve improvements on human rights_ amid fears of a return to the brutal rule that characterised the Taliban s first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.

The European Union s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday said the EU has  no other option but to engage with the Taliban .

Muttaqi urged countries around the world to open formal relations with the Taliban-led government_ citing an end to war in the country.

 Security is being maintained across the country_ he said_ and stressed that Afghanistan was open for foreign investment.

Muttaqi also said the government would not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for armed groups to launch attacks on other countries.