Iran's UN envoy: Frozen Afghan funds must be released unconditionally

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) has called for the removal of curbs and “unconditional” release of billions of dollars of frozen Afghan Central Bank's funds to enable the war-ravaged country to deal with its deepening economic and humanitarian crises.

According to Press TV, Amir Saeed Iravani made the remark while addressing a Tuesday session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Afghanistan, describing the current situation in the war-ravaged country as volatile and precarious in spite of the UN’s stabilization efforts.

He pointed to the report of the UN Secretary General António Guterres on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, stating that the report shows that 28.3 million Afghans will need humanitarian assistance and support in the next year. This is while the figure stood at 24.4 million in 2022, and was estimated at 24.4 million at the beginning of the previous year.

The report also reveals that Afghanistan's ruling authorities have also failed to honor their commitments, especially as regards creation of an inclusive and elected government, Iravani said.

The senior Iranian diplomat added that the secretary general's report states that the Taliban have already taken certain positive steps, including measures aimed at fighting corruption, which can form the basis for a stable economic situation and its revival in the coming years.

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN went on to note that while humanitarian aid is vital for Afghanistan, it is not a long-term solution and the country's economy should be given urgent priority.

Iravani said the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan should not be overlooked in light of other crises and conflicts.

“As we have emphasized many times, frozen [Afghan] assets belong to the nation and must be released unconditionally in order to help Afghanistan's economy,” he said.

“Instead of acknowledging responsibility for its irresponsible withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States unfortunately resorts to bogus and baseless reasons to justify its illegal actions, including continued freeze of Afghan funds, which is vital for the revival of the country’s economy. Sanctions regimes should not hinder efforts to rebuild the economy,” Iravani said.

ME