Sediqi reacts to Khalilzad’s presence at Taliban oil and gas deal signing
Sidiq Sediqi, Afghanistan’s former presidential spokesperson, has reacted to the presence of Zalmay Khalilzad at the signing ceremony for an oil and gas deal between the Taliban administration and a Saudi company, saying the Taliban’s rise to power was accompanied by the securing of economic interests.
On Tuesday, 17 Sunbula, he reshared an Afghanistan International report on the signing of the deal and wrote in a note on the social media platform X that Khalilzad’s mission in Afghanistan was to bring the Taliban to power and create economic opportunities.
In part of the note, Sediqi wrote: “The Taliban’s embrace is open to corrupt Afghan-American citizens.”
The Taliban administration’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum this week signed a contract with Saudi company Delta International for the exploration and extraction of oil and gas in the Kashk-Tirpul field. Khalilzad’s presence at the ceremony has raised questions about his role in the deal and his ties with the Taliban administration.
Following these reactions, the US State Department said Khalilzad is not a US government employee and does not represent the United States.
No further details have yet been published about Khalilzad’s role in the deal or the extent of possible support from official Saudi institutions for the project. Khalilzad has travelled to Afghanistan several times over the past five years and met with Taliban officials.
