06:11The Russian President's Special Representative to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that Moscow didn't think it was 'impossible' to discuss the country without the participation of the United States, while speaking at the 20th meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Wednesday.
"I don't quite agree with the premise that it is impossible or pointless to discuss anything in Afghanistan without the Americans. We do not agree with that. In fact, we believe that the key and major players are the neighbouring countries as well as other regional states whose national interests, including security, are closely linked to the situation in Afghanistan, so it is up to them to decide first and foremost," Kabulov said.
The special representative added that it would be up to Washington and the Western countries to decide whether to co-operate with Kabul or not, stressing that any co-operation could only be based on a 'regional approach'.
"Before doing that, and in order to have any reasonable interaction or co-operation with the Americans in the first place, it is necessary to solve a moral, political and ethical problem - the US must unfreeze Afghanistan's national assets and return them. Because this bad habit of stealing other people's money, which started with Iran, then continued with Russia, and then ended with Afghanistan - it is becoming chronic, and we are not going to put up with it," he continued.
Kabulov also stressed that the international community 'must provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghans to the best of its ability'.
"I have repeatedly recalled the decision of the president of the Russian Federation to provide food relief to Afghanistan if necessary. This decision remains in force. And if the situation becomes critical and the Afghan authorities turn to Russia, I think the positive decision will be taken," he said.
On February 11, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to 'preserve' 7 billion dollars of Afghanistan's Central Bank assets held in US banks and transfer them to a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York 'for the benefit of the Afghan people'.
According to the order, half of the Afghan assets - more than 3.5 billion dollars - 'would remain in the United States and are subject to ongoing litigation by US victims of terrorism'.
Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Wardak criticised Biden's order in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"The theft and seizure of money held/frozen by the United States of the Afghan people represents the lowest level of human and moral decay of a country and a nation," he wrote.
Earlier, the fifth meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan was held in Kazan, attended by Afghan representatives led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The ongoing 20th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, titled 'Fair Multipolarity: How To Ensure Security and Development for Everyone,' is being held in Sochi from October 2-5. The event has brought together 140 experts, politicians, and diplomats from Eurasia, Africa, and North and South America.
We don't think it's impossible to discuss Afghanistan without USA - Russian Presidential Representative Kabulov
The Russian President's Special Representative to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that Moscow didn't think it was 'impossible' to discuss the country without the participation of the United States, while speaking at the 20th meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Wednesday.
"I don't quite agree with the premise that it is impossible or pointless to discuss anything in Afghanistan without the Americans. We do not agree with that. In fact, we believe that the key and major players are the neighbouring countries as well as other regional states whose national interests, including security, are closely linked to the situation in Afghanistan, so it is up to them to decide first and foremost," Kabulov said.
The special representative added that it would be up to Washington and the Western countries to decide whether to co-operate with Kabul or not, stressing that any co-operation could only be based on a 'regional approach'.
"Before doing that, and in order to have any reasonable interaction or co-operation with the Americans in the first place, it is necessary to solve a moral, political and ethical problem - the US must unfreeze Afghanistan's national assets and return them. Because this bad habit of stealing other people's money, which started with Iran, then continued with Russia, and then ended with Afghanistan - it is becoming chronic, and we are not going to put up with it," he continued.
Kabulov also stressed that the international community 'must provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghans to the best of its ability'.
"I have repeatedly recalled the decision of the president of the Russian Federation to provide food relief to Afghanistan if necessary. This decision remains in force. And if the situation becomes critical and the Afghan authorities turn to Russia, I think the positive decision will be taken," he said.
On February 11, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to 'preserve' 7 billion dollars of Afghanistan's Central Bank assets held in US banks and transfer them to a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York 'for the benefit of the Afghan people'.
According to the order, half of the Afghan assets - more than 3.5 billion dollars - 'would remain in the United States and are subject to ongoing litigation by US victims of terrorism'.
Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Wardak criticised Biden's order in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"The theft and seizure of money held/frozen by the United States of the Afghan people represents the lowest level of human and moral decay of a country and a nation," he wrote.
Earlier, the fifth meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan was held in Kazan, attended by Afghan representatives led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The ongoing 20th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, titled 'Fair Multipolarity: How To Ensure Security and Development for Everyone,' is being held in Sochi from October 2-5. The event has brought together 140 experts, politicians, and diplomats from Eurasia, Africa, and North and South America.
The Russian President's Special Representative to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that Moscow didn't think it was 'impossible' to discuss the country without the participation of the United States, while speaking at the 20th meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Wednesday.
"I don't quite agree with the premise that it is impossible or pointless to discuss anything in Afghanistan without the Americans. We do not agree with that. In fact, we believe that the key and major players are the neighbouring countries as well as other regional states whose national interests, including security, are closely linked to the situation in Afghanistan, so it is up to them to decide first and foremost," Kabulov said.
The special representative added that it would be up to Washington and the Western countries to decide whether to co-operate with Kabul or not, stressing that any co-operation could only be based on a 'regional approach'.
"Before doing that, and in order to have any reasonable interaction or co-operation with the Americans in the first place, it is necessary to solve a moral, political and ethical problem - the US must unfreeze Afghanistan's national assets and return them. Because this bad habit of stealing other people's money, which started with Iran, then continued with Russia, and then ended with Afghanistan - it is becoming chronic, and we are not going to put up with it," he continued.
Kabulov also stressed that the international community 'must provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghans to the best of its ability'.
"I have repeatedly recalled the decision of the president of the Russian Federation to provide food relief to Afghanistan if necessary. This decision remains in force. And if the situation becomes critical and the Afghan authorities turn to Russia, I think the positive decision will be taken," he said.
On February 11, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to 'preserve' 7 billion dollars of Afghanistan's Central Bank assets held in US banks and transfer them to a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York 'for the benefit of the Afghan people'.
According to the order, half of the Afghan assets - more than 3.5 billion dollars - 'would remain in the United States and are subject to ongoing litigation by US victims of terrorism'.
Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Wardak criticised Biden's order in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"The theft and seizure of money held/frozen by the United States of the Afghan people represents the lowest level of human and moral decay of a country and a nation," he wrote.
Earlier, the fifth meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan was held in Kazan, attended by Afghan representatives led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The ongoing 20th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, titled 'Fair Multipolarity: How To Ensure Security and Development for Everyone,' is being held in Sochi from October 2-5. The event has brought together 140 experts, politicians, and diplomats from Eurasia, Africa, and North and South America.