Live Updates: State Department Says Washington Concerned About Some Members of New Afghan Gov't

DUSHANBE (Sputnik) - Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin that Dushanbe will only support an inclusive government in Afghanistan, where seats for Tajik civil servants will be reserved, the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The remarks were made at a virtual meeting devoted to Afghanistan with over 20 foreign ministers, the UN, the EU, and NATO involved.

"The Foreign Minister stressed that Tajikistan will support only an inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic groups, in which the Tajiks of Afghanistan will take their deserve seats," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The foreign minister also expressed concern over the violence against ethnic Tajiks in the Panjshir valley and called on the international community to pressure the Taliban (banned in Russia) to reach a political settlement with resistance groups, the statement added.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The newly-appointed Taliban (banned in Russia) caretaker government has asked the United States to release about $10 billion of Afghanistan's frozen funds in US banks, Shamshad News reported on 8 September, citing acting minister of refugees, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani.

The radical movement has also urged Washington to release billions of dollars in international aid allocated for Afghanistan's post-conflict recovery, as well as called on the international community, with the United Nations at the helm, to remove the names of Taliban leaders from blacklists, according to the report.

Washington froze the assets of the Afghan government, as well as its gold reserves, in US banks last month.

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China made a decision to urgently provide food, winter clothes, vaccines and medicines worth 200 million yuan ($30.9 million) to Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on 8 September.

"In line with the needs of the Afghan people, China has decided to urgently provide food, winter goods, vaccines and medicines for a total of 200 million yuan," Wang said, as quoted by the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Switzerland's Federal Council on Wednesday approved the allocation of 33 million Swiss francs ($35.8 million) to help Afghanistan.

"At today's meeting, the Federal Council decided to increase its aid in Afghanistan and in the surrounding countries. To this end, it approved an additional contribution of CHF 33 million to bolster humanitarian aid on the ground," the council said in a statement on its website.

The statement mentions that 10 million Swiss francs will be contributed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the remainder will be set down in the form of supplementary credit. Over the following 16 months, the Swiss aid to Afghanistan in cooperation with the surrounding countries will total 60 million.

According to the council, this is Switzerland's response to "the precarious circumstances in Afghanistan" which is struggling with "the threat of economic collapse, the ongoing drought, and famine."

Switzerland has been aiding Afghanistan on the ground since 2002. The country's current support amounts to CHF 27 million annually of which CHF 9 million is for humanitarian aid and CHF 18 million for development cooperation.

DUSHANBE (Sputnik) - Afghan Ambassador to Tajikistan Muhammad Zohir Agbar on 8 September said that the new government announced by the Taliban (banned in Russia) is illegitimate and called on the international community to not recognise it.

"I will not cooperate with the Taliban until they respect human rights and create an inclusive government," the diplomat told reporters, adding that he will represent Afghan ex-Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself caretaker president, in Dushanbe.

Afghanistan fell to the Taliban (a terrorist organisation banned in Russia) on 15 August. On Tuesday night, the radical movement unveiled the composition of an interim government which, contrary to international calls and expectations, is not inclusive of non-Taliban members and women.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he plans to discuss developments in Afghanistan with Russian President Vladimir Putin at their meeting scheduled for Thursday.

"Tomorrow, I will meet with the Russian president. Obviously, we will discuss the situation in the Eurasian Economic Union and certainly the situation in Afghanistan and its influence on Central Asia and Russia. Belarusians will certainly not stay on the sidelines," Lukashenko told Kazakh National Security Committee Chairman Karim Massimov, as quoted by Belarusian state-run news agency Belta.

Japan is also is making efforts to ensure the safety and departure of Japanese citizens and staff of its local facilities from Afghanistan, the official said, noting that Tokyo has sent a government representative to Doha to discuss practical issues.

"Our message to Russia and the rest of the world is: the Philippines is welcoming people who are in trouble. I think our president already made this announcement," the diplomat added.