Lavrov Says Western Sanctions Have Not Hindered Afghan Economy
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at the Moscow-format consultations that Western sanctions have failed to hinder Afghanistan's economic development, citing new production facilities and rising foreign trade.
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Why It Matters
Moscow-format consultations bring together special representatives and senior officials to discuss Afghanistan.
MOSCOW, October 5. /TASS/. Western sanctions have not hampered the development of Afghanistan’s economy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"The Afghan economy continues to develop despite the harsh sanctions pressure from Western countries, which, under the pretext of protecting human rights, have severed the Islamic Emirate off from the international financial system and seized its national banking assets," he told the opening of a meeting of the Moscow-format consultations on Afghanistan at the level of special representatives and senior officials.
"The Afghan authorities reaffirmed their commitment to regional energy projects, including the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) trunk gas pipeline, implemented a tax reform, strengthened anti-corruption legislation, and revived industry."
Lavrov cited official data showing that about 170 new production facilities were launched in Afghanistan.
He said that the country has "drawn up a five-year plan for the development of the power industry," and "Afghanistan’s foreign trade with more than 100 countries around the world rose last year to $14 billion."
Open Questions
- What are the sources behind the official data cited?
- How will Western nations respond to these statements?
