"US Administration Continues Negotiations to Release Frozen Afghan Overseas Assets"

Afghanistan Faces Severe Hunger, Prompting Humanitarian Decision

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] The U.S. government is reportedly pursuing negotiations to unfreeze the overseas funds of the Central Bank of Afghanistan.

On the 22nd (local time), major foreign media outlets cited two sources, reporting that officials from the U.S. State Department and Treasury Department plan to continue these negotiations despite the slow pace.

Last August, when the Taliban took control of the pro-American Afghan government, the U.S. froze $7 billion (approximately 9.4 trillion KRW) of the Afghan Central Bank's funds deposited in the United States. However, as about 20 million people, half of Afghanistan's population, are suffering from severe hunger, this decision appears to have been made on humanitarian grounds. The plan is to allow some of the frozen funds to be used for stabilizing the Afghan economy while preventing the Taliban from embezzling the money.

Although there were reports that the U.S. halted the unfreezing negotiations after conducting an airstrike in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, killing Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, one source stated that the U.S. government's efforts remain unchanged.

The U.S. government is reportedly considering transferring the frozen overseas assets of the Afghan Central Bank to a trust fund based in Switzerland.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.