Taliban thank world for pledging emergency aid to Afghanistan

Kabul [Afghanistan], September 14 (ANI): The Taliban on Tuesday thanked the world for pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency aid to Afghanistan.

Taliban's government acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that it wants good bilateral relations with the world's countries, including the United States, reported Tolo News.

"We want them not to pressure Afghanistan because pressure does not work and does not benefit Afghanistan nor world countries," he said in a press conference in Kabul.

At a UN meeting in Geneva on Monday, the international community pledged to provide over USD 1 billion in humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

Muttaqi said the Taliban will coordinate with the aid providers in reaching the people in need and ensured the transparency of the aid's distribution, reported Tolo News.

"We ensure that the aid will be distributed transparently to the people," he said.

A number of the aid providers, however, said they will not give the money directly to the Taliban, but will instead reach the people in need through humanitarian organizations and aid workers, reported Tolo News.

Muttaqi also called on the countries, especially the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, to provide development funds to Afghanistan.

"We urge the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank to support Afghanistan in the development sector, in education and in other areas," he said. (ANI)