Regional powers back aid for Afghanistan as Russia hosts Taliban

Ten regional powers join Taliban in calling for a UN donor conference for Afghanistan after meeting in Russia.

Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers won backing from 10 regional powers at talks in Moscow for the idea of a United Nations donor conference to help the country stave off economic collapse and a humanitarian catastrophe.

On Wednesday, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iran and formerly Soviet Central Asian states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan joined the Taliban in calling for the UN to convene such a conference as soon as possible to help rebuild the country.

They said it should take place “with the understanding, of course, that the main burden … should be borne by the forces whose military contingents have been present in this country over the past 20 years”.

That was a pointed reference to the United States and its allies, who invaded Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks and whose abrupt withdrawal paved the way for the Taliban to seize back control of the country in August.

Washington chose not to attend the talks, citing technical reasons, but has said it may join future rounds.

Russia has led the calls for international aid, conscious that any spillover of conflict from Afghanistan could threaten regional stability.

The Taliban’s resurgence has stirred international fears of a return to their hardline rule in the 1990s, when they hosted Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda movement and carried out egregious human rights violations, including public stonings and the marginalisation of women at work and in schools.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have said they have moved as quickly as possible on opening up their government and guaranteeing rights to women, and that they do not represent a threat to any other country.

“Afghanistan will never allow its soil to be used as a base for anyone to threaten the security of another country,” Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy prime minister who led the delegation, said: “Isolating Afghanistan is in no one’s interests.”

While governments around the world, including Russia, have declined to give official recognition to the Taliban government, the communique recognised the “new reality” of their ascent to power.

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