CAIRO, September 8. /TASS/. The Taliban (banned in Russia) have given assurances that the work of all countries’ diplomatic missions in Afghanistan would be completely safe, while the presence of envoys was necessary for the country, according to a statement issued by the Afghan government and signed by the Taliban’s leader Hibatullah Akhundzada on Wednesday.
"We assure all foreign diplomats, embassies, consulates, humanitarian organizations and investment structures that they will not face any problems. The Islamic Emirate [the name the Taliban calls itself] will make every effort to ensure their security. The [diplomatic missions’] presence in the country is one of the necessities of our state," the statement reads.
The new Afghan leadership has promised, apart from security issues, to facilitate economic development. "The Emirate will make every effort to boost the economy and its growth. It will create special opportunities for trade in various fields and open the door for foreign investment. Work will be carried out to combat unemployment. Our goal is to make the country self-sufficient in the shortest possible time in order to effectively address its restoration," Akhundzada noted.
On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. For almost two weeks, the Taliban could not approve the new Cabinet, mainly, due to "technical difficulties and preparations."
On Tuesday, the new interim government was announced. Mohammad Hasan was declared Prime Minister, while Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi became his deputies. Taliban’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, as expected, did not take a post in the cabinet of ministers.