The United States said Wednesday it is setting up fund in Switzerland to manage $3.5 billion of Afghan reserves to be used to help stabilize Afghanistan’s economy.

A board of trustees will manage the Afghan Fund.

The U.S. Treasury said the fund will “protect, preserve and make targeted disbursements” of the Afghan money.

The funds could go toward items such as electricity imports, debt payments to international financial institutions and ensuring Afghanistan remains eligible for development aid.

The Taliban-run Afghan government has sought the return of billions of dollars in assets held in U.S. banks.

U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Ademeyo said in a letter that sending the money to Afghanistan’s central bank would put the funds at risk of not being used for the benefit of the Afghan people.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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