KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban-run Central Bank of Afghanistan stated that Hidayatullah Badri, the head of the Central Bank, met with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), on Sunday in Kabul.
According to a statement from the Central Bank under Taliban control, the Taliban called on the UN officials to help lift sanctions, particularly in financial matters.
Badri stated that the sanctions imposed on the country’s banking sector have negatively impacted financial stability and caused “greater damages to the people.”
“These sanctions have weakened the purchasing power of the people and hindered Afghanistan’s banks’ access to international financial and banking systems,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
The Taliban also claimed that “lifting the banking sector restrictions is a human right and the demand of all Afghans.”
During the meeting, the Taliban emphasized unfreezing Afghanistan’s assets, which have been frozen by the U.S.
According to the Taliban’s statement, the UN officials expressed a “commitment to continued cooperation” with Afghanistan.
Due to its repressive policies, particularly regarding women and girls in Afghanistan, the Taliban has been facing a range of sanctions imposed by the UN and other financial institutions.
