Taliban unlikely to represent Afghan in ongoing UN General Assembly session
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Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi/ Image from IANS
Kabul: Pak based newspaper Dawn news on Thursday reported that the Taliban are unlikely to speak at or represent Afghanisthan in the current session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Representatives of the former Afghan government still occupy the Afghan mission at the UN. On Tuesday, they attended the session that US President Joe Biden addressed.
On September 20, a letter signed by Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi was passed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting to participate in the current UNGA. Earlier, on September 15, Guterres had received a letter from the currently accredited Afghan ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, stating that he and other members of his team will represent Afghanistan in the UNGA session.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed receiving both letters while talking to journalists in New York.
Muttaqi said in the letter that former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was "ousted" on August 15 and therefore his envoy no longer represents Afghanistan, Dujarric said.
The Taliban, however, are unlikely to get the slot by September 27, when Afghanistan is scheduled to address the General Assembly, says the report.
It added that the General Assembly's nine-member credentials committee, which makes such decisions, is unlikely to meet before September 27. And even if it did, it cannot settle the dispute in the remaining two or three days.
Meanwhile, Afghan's acting Foreign Minister of the newly-formed Taliban government said that the country wants to have friendly relations with the international community, including the neighbouring and regional nations.
Muttaqi, who was addressing a ceremony in Kabul on Thursday also said that Afghanistan will not be used against any country and the new administration will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against anyone.
"A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is for the benefit of the neighbouring states, the region and the world at large," he said. He, however, noted that exerting pressure on Afghanistan will not benefit anyone.
Muttaqi also called on Afghans to unite and rebuild the country including its economy with goodwill, brotherhood and unity.