KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, voiced opposition to the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan during a meeting with Russian special envoy Zamir Kabulov.
Taliban’s foreign ministry issued a statement asserting that the current situation in Afghanistan does not warrant a UN special envoy. After discussions with the UN and receiving complete details about the methods and agenda of the upcoming Doha meeting, the Taliban will announce its position on participation, Muttaqi said.
The statement also highlighted improving relations between the Taliban and regional countries and quoted Kabulov as saying that any international meeting on Afghanistan would be ineffective without the Taliban’s presence.
Kabulov arrived in Kabul on Tuesday and met with several Taliban officials.
During a meeting with Kabulov, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for political affairs, Abdul Kabir, advocated for the Taliban to be granted Afghanistan’s seat at the UN.
The Taliban-run media organization RTA reported that Kabulov assured the continuation of “good relations” between his country and the Taliban.
Additionally, the Taliban’s Interior Ministry stated that Kabulov met with Sirajuddin Haqqani to discuss bilateral relations, regional politics, and security.
Despite the Taliban’s resistance, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General earlier stated that the appointment of a special envoy is still under consideration.
