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Interest of $270 million earned so far from Afghanistan’s frozen assets
Anwar ul-Haq Ahady, a member of the board of directors of the Afghanistan Trust Fund (ATF) in Switzerland, says the fund has so far earned $270 million in interest.
Ahady told Radio Azadi on Wednesday that this interest, earned from the $3.5 billion, can be used in Afghanistan if necessary.
“Some projects, some basic expenses of the government or the government that they do not have the power to pay and are necessary for the people of Afghanistan are also used there. But in any case, four members of the board must fully agree for such expenses.
“In the last meeting, more than a month ago, on January 29, a decision was made that if the Afghan government cannot pay the loan of the Asian Bank … and they insist that we pay, then it is possible to use this money.
“Because the Asian Bank provides humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and we do not want the humanitarian aid of the Asian Bank to be cut off. Of course, the same ruling was in the case of the World Bank, but this loan was paid by the government itself, so there was no need for us,” Ahady told Liberty radio.
At the same time, Ahady said all four board members need to agree to the spending of this money.
Turkish TRT news channel said in a report on Wednesday that the officials involved in the discussions about the spending of the money of the Afghanistan Trust Fund say for the stability of Afghanistan’s ruined financial system, it is necessary to release this money.
But according to reports, the four board members, Dr. Anwar ul-Haq Ahady, Dr. Shah Mehrabi, Dr. Jay Shambaugh, and Ambassador Alexandra Baumann, could not agree on how to spend the money, almost 18 months after the establishment of the fund.
A source told TRT that while all board members agree that this money should not be touched, the interest earned should go towards helping the people of Afghanistan.
After the return of the Islamic Emirate to power in August 2021, $7 billion belonging to the Central Bank of Afghanistan was frozen in the United States, half of which has been invested in a Swiss trust account.
The other half and is earmarked to be paid over to the families of 9/11 attacks.
The Islamic Emirate has however tried unsuccessfully to have the fund released.
During the republic, Da Afghanistan Bank, which was responsible for the country’s monetary stability, kept this capital abroad as a monetary support.
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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