Taliban to sign agreement with UAE on running Afghan airports
By Orowo Victoria Ojieh with agency report
The Taliban administration will sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to share responsibility for operating airports in Afghanistan, the group’s acting deputy prime minister said on Tuesday.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar made the announcement on Twitter after months of talks with the UAE, Turkey and Qatar. He later told reporters in Kabul that his administration was renewing an airport ground handling agreement with the UAE.
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It was not immediately clear whether the agreement went beyond existing arrangements or if it included airport security, a sensitive issue for the Taliban who fought for decades against U.S.-led NATO troops and say they do not want the return of international forces.
Qatar and Turkey had sent temporary technical teams to assist in airport operations and security after the country was thrown into disarray when the Taliban took over last year as foreign forces withdrew.
