IEA harbors no ill will towards foreign countries, says Muttaqi

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said during a visit to Sanglakh Valley in Jalriz district of Maidan Wardak on Thursday that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) does not harbor ill will to any country in the world.

Addressing residents of Jalriz district, Muttaqi said: “The previous governments of Afghanistan did not have good bilateral relations with the countries to which the United States had problems. Now, the Islamic Emirate does not have any political or economic problems with any countries.”

According to experts, such visits and personal engagement with the public could play a key role in establishing trust between the government and the people.

“Getting close to the people will enable an atmosphere of trust between the people and the government and it will result in support for the government,” said Amanullah Hotaki, a political analyst.

However, others have said that visits of this nature could have a negative effect. One political analyst said IEA officials should focus on finding solutions to the problems and working on policies, rather than visiting provinces.

“This is an ordinary visit; they (IEA officials) can visit the locals, but this will not resolve the problems of Afghanistan. Instead of visiting the locals, it would be better for government officials to focus on [finding] solutions and programs to change the current situation in the country,” said Sayed Jawad Mohsini, another political analyst.

However, Muttaqi has made a point of engaging with people from different ethnic groups in the past few months, especially the Shiite minority.