Japan pledges continued support to Afghan people

The Japanese Ambassador to Kabul Takashi Okada, on Wednesday met with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, where he assured the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) of his country’s support.

According to the ministry, during the meeting, Muttaqi elaborated on the IEA’s achievements in the economic sector, the approval of the government’s budget with no foreign aid, revenue collection, the fight against drugs, the treatment of drug addicts, and human rights.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Ambassador assured the IEA of Japan’s continued cooperation with the people of Afghanistan in various sectors, but stressed the need for more attention in the field of human rights.

This comes after the Biden administration imposed new visa restrictions on current and former members of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) over its “repression of women and girls”.

The IEA has rejected claims of suppressing women and says that the world should engage with the Islamic Emirate instead of putting pressure on them.

The foreign ministry also called on the US to reconsider its decision to impose new visa restrictions on IEA members.