The Taliban demanded the appointment of a permanent representative to the United Nations
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi wrote the letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, in which Mottaqi called for a speech at the annual general assembly meeting, which ends on Monday.
UN Secretary’s spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed Mottaqi’s letter, saying the Taliban’s application for Afghanistan’s seat at the UN was sent to a nine-member credentialing committee whose members include the United States, China and Russia. The committee is unlikely to decide on the matter before Monday, so it is unclear whether the Taliban foreign minister will address the UN body.
The letter allegedly called for the appointment of Soheil Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Qatar, as the group’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
Haq added that the Taliban letter stated that the mission of Isakzai, Afghanistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, “has ended and he is no longer representing Afghanistan.”
However, Isaaczi will remain in office until a decision is made by the accreditation committee, in accordance with the rules of the General Assembly.
He is currently scheduled to speak on the final day of the summit, September 27, but it is unclear whether any country may object to the Taliban letter.
