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IEA says left over US military equipment is Afghanistan’s ‘assets’
US President Donald Trump said last month that the military equipment should be returned
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says the military equipment that was left behind by US troops in August 2021 belongs to the Afghanistan government and will remain in their possession.
In an interview with CBS News, Balkhi emphasized that discussions regarding state assets are not resolved through unilateral actions, but rather through dialogue and engagement to identify mutual interests.
“People don’t make deals on the assets of their states,” Balkhi stated.
“They make agreements through dialogue and engagement to find spaces and areas of common interest.”
This comes after US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks that the military equipment should be returned.
Just hours before his inauguration, on January 20, Trump said that future financial assistance to Afghanistan will be contingent upon the return of US military equipment.
A 2022 report from the US Department of Defense revealed that the American military equipment left behind in Afghanistan includes 78 aircraft, 40,000 military vehicles, and over 300,000 firearms.
The equipment is worth an estimated $7 billion.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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