Foreign ministers from five permanent members of the UN Security Council met on the situation in Afghanistan and agreed to call on the Islamist Taliban to respect the human rights of women, but with financial assistance. It seems that there is a difference in the position between Europe, the United States and China regarding the way it should be.
The Foreign Ministers' Meeting by the permanent members of the Security Council was held at the UN headquarters in New York on the 22nd, and in the presence of UN Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of State Blinken of the United States, Foreign Minister Truss of the United Kingdom, Foreign Minister Ludrian of France, and Labrov of Russia. Foreign Ministers attended, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also participated online.
The meeting was held privately, but according to senior U.S. State Department officials, the five countries called on the Islamist Taliban, which had power in Afghanistan, to respect the human rights of women and counter terrorism. It means that they matched.
On the other hand, over the fact that the assets of the Afghan government overseas have been frozen since the Taliban seized power, Western countries have taken a cautious stance to lift the freeze, while China and Russia have taken a cautious stance. I have insisted that it should be released promptly and used for local humanitarian assistance.
"China has no assets in Afghanistan and it's easy to ask for a freeze. We think the Taliban should lift it when it keeps its promise," said a senior U.S. State Department official. At the meeting, it seems that there was a difference between the two positions.