Indonesia seeks to reopen its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan

Indonesia seeks to reopen its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan in the near future, said Abdul Kadir Jailani, Indonesia Foreign Ministry's director-general for the Asia Pacific and Africa, on Monday.

"Our goal is to conduct constructive engagement, primarily in the context of humanitarian assistance, including assistance for women, academic scholarship, et cetera," Tolo News quoted Jailani as saying.

Jailani further said that the reopening of the embassy does not mean formal recognition of the Taliban and that his country will continue assessing the Islamic Emirate's commitment to form an inclusive government, observe human rights, and counter-terrorism.

"We do hope that the Taliban keeps their words of never letting homegrown terrorism emerge," he added.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson, Bilal Karimi, said they welcome Indonesia's move and added that other countries also should reopen their embassies.

"We welcome the reopening of world countries' diplomatic missions and urge other countries to reopen their embassies to improve the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and also to engage with the Islamic Emirate," Tolo News quoted Karimi as saying.

The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, causing the US-backed government to step down. Later in September, the outfit announced the composition of the new interim government of Afghanistan.

The country is currently battered by the deepening economic, humanitarian, and security crisis following the Taliban takeover. The international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people.

( With inputs from ANI )