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Russian embassy describes US freezing of Afghan assets as unacceptable

It is necessary to unfreeze the international reserves of the Central Bank of the country, noted in the diplomatic mission

WASHINGTON, August 12. /TASS/. The United States should release international assets of Afghanistan’s Central Bank, the current situation is unacceptable, the Russian embassy in the United States said on Friday.

"We noted a letter, published by the Center for Economic and Policy Research and signed by over 70 economists from the United States and other countries, with the call to release all international reserves of the Central Bank of Afghanistan. We fully support this letter," the embassy said in its Telegram channel.

"It is unacceptable to unlawfully hold the financial assets that belong to the people of Afghanistan. We also believe that their negotiations with Kabul on conditions under which a half of the total sum can be released are cynical," Russian diplomats said.

The embassy added that "the people of Afghanistan are going through an unprecedented social and economic crisis."

"Washington’s actions only aggravate the suffering of innocent Afghans and provoke the worst humanitarian catastrophe in this Asian country. We call upon the administration to review its decision and release the international assets of a sovereign country," the embassy said.

The Taliban (outlawed in Russia) mounted a massive operation to regain control over Afghanistan after the United States announced the withdrawal of its military personnel from the country in the spring of 2021. On August 15, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country, as Taliban forces swept into Kabul, without encountering any resistance. After claiming full control of Afghanistan’s territory, on September 7, the Taliban declared a new interim government, which has not yet been recognized by any country.

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