Taliban Urges US to Reopen Kabul Embassy, Invest in Afghanistan

DID Press: Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on the United States to reopen its embassy in Kabul and invest in Afghanistan’s mining, dam-building and road construction projects — many of which were major targets of Taliban attacks over the past two decades.

In an interview with The New York Times, Muttaqi said the United States could reopen its embassy in Kabul and resume a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. He stressed that the Taliban is ready to restore formal relations with Washington and create opportunities for economic cooperation.

Muttaqi also urged the United States to invest in Afghanistan’s vast mineral resources, dam projects and road development. He said billions of dollars had been spent on these projects over the past two decades, with three successive US administrations and their allies seeking to develop them. The Taliban, however, repeatedly targeted and damaged such projects during the same period as part of its campaign against the foreign military presence.

The Taliban’s latest position marks a shift in its approach toward the United States — from armed confrontation and attacks on infrastructure to calls for investment and economic cooperation.

Analysts say Kabul is seeking through such proposals to strengthen its international legitimacy and attract new financial resources for the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s struggling economy.

At the same time, major questions over mutual trust and the feasibility of such cooperation remain unresolved. The United States has yet to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, while widespread concerns persist over human rights, civil liberties and the presence and activities of terrorist groups in the country.