Lavrov Says US, Allies Should Bear Burden Of Afghanistan's Reconstruction

The United States and its allies should commit themselves to rebuilding Afghanistan, since the 20-year presence of NATO in the country placed a heavy burden on the Afghan people, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2022) The United States and its allies should commit themselves to rebuilding Afghanistan, since the 20-year presence of NATO in the country placed a heavy burden on the Afghan people, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"The burden of the country's rebuilding costs must, of course, be borne by the Americans and their allies, who have done nothing for 20 years beyond providing their military presence in the region, but in the end have never been able to achieve that goal," Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of a CIS ministerial meeting in Dushanbe.

The Russian foreign minister added that US-led NATO forces had invested nothing in the infrastructure that would provide the Afghan people with new jobs or develop the country's economy, transportation and foreign relations.

The Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, which resulted in the collapse of the US-backed civilian government and mass evacuations. The country's foreign assets were frozen. Several countries and organizations refused to cooperate with the radical movement. The Afghan population has been facing a deepening economic, humanitarian, and security crisis in the country since then.