Taliban to sign pact with UAE on running Afghan airports

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KABUL, May 25(ABC): The Taliban will sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on operating airports in Afghanistan, the group s acting deputy prime minister said on Tuesday, after months of talks with the UAE, Turkey and Qatar.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar made the announcement in a Tweet and later told reporters in Kabul that his administration was renewing an airport ground handling agreement with the UAE.

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.

The UAE s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.