DOHA, November 19. /TASS/. Afghanistan is prepared to engage and collaborate with the global community, but only in accordance with its principles and interests, Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani asserted on the 78th anniversary of Afghanistan's entry into the UN as an independent state.

"International cooperation and engagement should align with our principles and policies. The interaction of other countries is based on mutual respect - we seek the same for our country. Afghanistan’s interests and needs are inseparable from those of the global community," Haqqani stated at a meeting in Khost province. There is not a single individual in the Taliban government who opposes establishing relations with other countries, he added.

After Washington announced in the spring of 2021 that it would withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, Taliban members launched a large-scale operation to seize control of the country. On August 15, they captured Kabul without a fight. On September 7, the Taliban announced the formation of an interim government, the legitimacy of which has not yet been recognized by any country. Afghanistan joined the United Nations as an independent state on November 19, 1946, alongside Iceland and Sweden. Three years ago, Afghanistan was stripped of its voting rights in the UN General Assembly for failing to pay membership fees.