Khalilzad Offers to Help Unlock Frozen Afghanistan Assets

DID Press: Former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Peace process, Zalmay Khalilzad, expressed readiness to assist in unblocking Afghanistan’s frozen bank assets and easing the country’s economic crisis during a meeting with the head of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce.

Sayed Karim Hashimi, President of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, met with Khalilzad to discuss the challenges facing Afghanistan’s trade, economy, and banking sector, including billions of dollars in assets frozen abroad.

The Chamber said Khalilzad signaled his willingness to support efforts to resolve these issues and mitigate the economic crisis.

Approximately $9 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank assets, held mostly in U.S. banks, were frozen following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, significantly impacting the country’s liquidity and monetary policy.

Khalilzad’s visit to Kabul also included a meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban government, who noted that relations between Afghanistan and the United States have entered a new phase following the U.S. withdrawal and the end of the war.