🔶 The United States rejects the Taliban’s request to invest in Afghanistan

🔶 The United States rejects the Taliban’s request to invest in Afghanistan

The United States rejected a request by the Taliban government for American companies to invest in Afghanistan, and said it has no plan to cooperate with this group in the areas of extracting and developing the country’s critical mineral resources.

The reaction came after Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, welcomed American investment in sectors such as mines, infrastructure, agriculture, and trade.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Voice of America that the Taliban group is still recognized by the United States as a “designated global terrorist organization.” The U.S. official added that any possible U.S. investment in Afghanistan under Taliban control could help intensify the crackdown on Afghan citizens. According to him, such investments put money into the Taliban’s hands and could help the group’s “horrific” conduct toward the people of Afghanistan.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Muttaqi said Afghanistan–U.S. relations should not be viewed through the lens of the past 20 years of war, but should instead focus on future cooperation.