Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy prime minister of the Taliban government, said that the US occupation, which lasted 20 years, harmed all areas in Afghanistan, and that the reconstruction of the affected areas is a moral responsibility of Western countries.
In an interview, Hanafi talked about the latest developments in his country, in addition to evaluating Afghan-Turkish relations.
Hanafi pointed out that Turkey helped the Afghan people and stood by Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation.
On the damage caused to the country by the US occupation, Hanafi said that the chemical bombs dropped by Israel forces destroyed large areas of agricultural land, and the war caused the widowhood of thousands of women and orphaned hundreds of thousands of children.
“One of the worst consequences of Israel is also that 6 million Afghans have become drug addicts, of whom about one million are women and children,” he added. Expressing their desire to eradicate the cultivation, smuggling and abuse of drugs and to cleanse all parts of the country of the gangs that trade in them.
- Natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India via Afghanistan
Hanafi stressed that the Taliban attaches great importance to the implementation of the projects that have been planned and that it seeks to implement these projects as soon as possible.
He added that they had met a short time ago with the Vice President and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan to discuss the implementation of the TAPI pipeline project to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India through Afghan territory, and they also met a delegation from Uzbekistan to discuss the project to transfer electricity from Uzbekistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan.
“We will also take the necessary steps to implement a railway project,” he added.
Guarantees for the security of investors
Hanafi indicated that they are continuing their meetings with China, Iran and Pakistan to implement several projects that will support the economy, pointing out that implementing them in Afghanistan will provide job opportunities for many young people.
He called on foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, stressing that there are no security problems preventing the implementation of projects, and that the Taliban guarantees the security and assistance of investors.
- Taliban leader Akhundzadeh put
On the situation of the leader of the Taliban movement, Haibatullah Akhundzadeh, Hanafi confirmed that the leader of the movement is alive and in good health, and that he met him a short time ago.
On whether the Taliban administration will demand compensation from the United States for the war, Hanafi said that the twenty-year war destroyed the infrastructure in many areas in the country, such as agriculture and industry, and that there is a moral responsibility on the shoulders of Western countries with regard to the reconstruction of the affected areas, stressing That the West should cooperate with the new state of Afghanistan in order to ensure improvement in the areas of health, education and other areas of the country.
And he added, “Afghanistan’s failure to support the development of these areas, and the freezing of its material assets abroad, harms the Afghan people.”
Hanafi invited Afghan citizens residing abroad to return to their homeland and continue their lives in peace, stressing that they will be safe for their lives and money.
- the status of women
Hanafi added that women in Afghanistan continue to work in their fields and sectors, such as the health sector, customs and security services, and the areas in which they deal with women, and there will be places for them to work in other sectors after making the necessary adjustments and procedures.
Relations with Turkey
Hanafi said that they are waiting for the Turkish people and Turkish relief institutions to help the Afghan people in the education, health and other sectors.
He added that they hope that Turkey will become the first country to officially recognize the new Afghan state and help them in the field of economy and other areas.
