WASHINGTON: Hours after the Taliban announced the new interim government, US President Joe Biden said that Pakistan, Iran, China and Russia are trying to hammer out an agreement with the Afghan Taliban on various issues.
Biden said that he was beyond doubt that China would try to devise an arrangement with the Taliban after they seized power in Afghanistan on August 15. In response to the question posed by the reporter whether he was anxious that China would fund the group, which is sanctioned under U.S. law, or not, Biden told reporters, “China has a real problem with the Taliban. So they’re going to try to work out some arrangement with the Taliban, I’m sure. As does Pakistan, as does Russia, as does Iran. They’re all trying to figure out what do they do now.”
Earlier, one of the members of the US State Department spokesman had expressed reservations over the Taliban’s formation of an interim government and said the Taliban would be judged by their actions, not their words. Zabihullah Mujahid, the information minister of the Afghan Taliban, had recently said that China can play a significant role in the development of Afghanistan. While giving an interview to an Italian newspaper, he said that Afghanistan will take China’s help for its economic revival.
Mujahid further said that the Taliban are also looking towards Russia to build strong diplomatic and trade relations as Russia had fully supported the Taliban in their pursuit of world peace.
On the other hand, the United States and its Group of Seven allies have agreed to coordinate their response to the Taliban, and Washington has blocked the Taliban’s access to Afghanistan’s reserves, most of which are held by the New York Federal Reserve, to make sure they fulfil their promises to respect women’s rights and international law.
But political pundits believe that there are high chances of losing that economic leverage will be lost if China, Russia or other countries provide funds to the Taliban.