Muttaqi describes reopening of OIC’s office in Kabul as ‘diplomatic success’

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has welcomed the reopening of the office of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Afghanistan and says it’s a political success for the IEA.

At a meeting with the OIC delegation in Kabul on Saturday, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said with the reopening of the office, it is hoped that the political, economic and humanitarian cooperation of Islamic countries with Afghanistan will be further strengthened.

“The reopening of this office is really a political success; diplomatic success and its improvement; we hope through this organization humanitarian aid reaches the needy people, and that the assistance of Islamic countries will be managed via it,” said Muttaqi.

Muttaqi called on Islamic countries to invest in Afghanistan, assuring them of good security at all embassies and political offices in the country.

“It’s a good opportunity now in Afghanistan that the Islamic countries should invest in this country or via transit of Afghanistan, they can trade here and Afghanistan is a good center for the region in terms of transit,” he added.

The OIC’s special representative for Afghanistan Tariq Ali Bakheet meanwhile called the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan dire and appealed to the international community, especially the Islamic countries, to support and cooperate with Afghanistan.

“The reopening of this office was necessary for the strengthening of economic and humanitarian cooperation in Afghanistan from the member countries. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is pleased to help Afghanistan in the health, social development, educational and humanitarian sectors,” said Bakheet.

He emphasized that the people of Afghanistan are still in crisis and that Afghanistan needs help in all sectors.

“Political support of Afghanistan provides long-lasting security and stability; Afghanistan is in a crisis and requires the support and cooperation of all sectors. For this purpose, we created a fund to help Afghanistan,” he added.

In addition, the establishment of the International Islamic University in Afghanistan by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the restarting of the process of selecting Kabul as the cultural capital of Islamic countries for 2024 were discussed.

The OIC had announced in 2019 that Kabul has been chosen as the cultural capital of Islamic countries for 2024.

The OIC’s office was officially reopened in Kabul fourteen months after the establishment of the Islamic Emirate with the financial support of Saudi Arabia.