INDONESIA
Monday, 20 Dec 2021
JAKARTA, Dec 20 (Bernama): Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi (pic) has urged the Taliban to keep the promises it made to the people after the group took back the country from the United States that withdrew its troops last August. Retno said this during a meeting with Taliban’s representative Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Islamabad, Pakistan in conjunction with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on Sunday. The session delved on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, as well as education and women empowerment and in preventing total collapse of the country's economy. On Aug 17, after making a comeback, Taliban promised an "amnesty" for everyone in Afghanistan, called on citizens to return to work and also for women to join the administration, and girls allowed to school. At the meeting, Indonesia asked OIC to show its solidarity and take concrete actions to prevent further humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. "OIC has a moral responsibility to help the people of Afghanistan,” Retno said adding that Indonesia stands ready to support the work of OIC Special Envoy for Afghanistan and raised the importance of women's empowerment in Afghanistan. Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world by population and area also pledged to continue assisting the Afghans, including in food supplies. However, Retno stressed "any OIC initiatives will be difficult to implement with no significant progress from Taliban in fulfilling their promises”. The organisation's extraordinary session, chaired by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, agreed to pursue three efforts. OIC will mobilise support and resources for humanitarian purposes; Taliban should draw a roadmap to fulfill their promises; and OIC to play a bridging role between Afghanistan and donors.- Bernama