The facts are important, not just the words, said the German foreign minister. Most governments around the world still do not recognize the government appointed by the Taliban
A “show” by the Taliban at the UN General Assembly, where Islamists who came to power in Afghanistan want to be given the floor, “will not bring anything,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was quoted as saying by AFP and BTA.
“The UN General Assembly is not the right platform for such a thing,” the New York minister said, adding: “We need to talk to the Taliban. There are several channels for this that have been established in recent weeks.”
The government, appointed by the Taliban after coming to power in Kabul in mid-August, formally asked the UN to speak on behalf of Afghanistan before the annual session of the General Assembly, which will last until Monday.
The ambassador of the previous, ousted Afghan government, which is still accredited to the world body, also wants to represent his country. The UN is unlikely to resolve the dispute before the end of the debate and allow a Taliban envoy to speak on the prestigious platform, several sources said.
Most governments around the world still do not recognize the Taliban-appointed government, which has previously required it to meet several conditions, including respect for women’s rights and its commitment to let those Afghans who want to leave the country do so.
“The concrete facts are important, not just the words about human rights, especially women’s rights, inclusive governance and a clear distancing from terrorist groups,” said Heiko Maas.
“Communication with the Taliban and the Afghan government will depend on that,” he added.
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