Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on the United States to lift its sanctions against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) and said they seek the world’s mercy and compassion to help millions of desperate Afghans.

Muttaqi also told the Associated Press that his government wants good relations with all countries and has no issue with the United States.

He urged Washington and other nations to release upward of $10 billion in funds that were frozen when the Taliban took power on August 15.

Sanctions against Afghanistan would ... not have any benefit, Muttaqi said

Making Afghanistan unstable or having a weak Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone, he added.

Muttaqi emphasized that the Taliban wants good relations with all countries including the United States.

He also expressed hope that with time, America will slowly, slowly change its policy toward Afghanistan as it sees that an Taliban-ruled country standing on its own is a benefit to the US.

You (US) are a great and big nation and you must have enough patience and have a big heart to dare to make policies on Afghanistan based on international rules and relegation, and to end the differences and make the distance between us shorter and choose good relations with Afghanistan, he said.

Muttaqi also said the Taliban have changed since they last ruled.

We have have made progress in administration and in politics ... in interaction with the nation and the world. With each passing day, we will gain more experience and make more progress, he said.