Al-Jazeera report:
Taliban officials and US officials discussed "opening a new page" in their countries' relations, as part of official talks between the parties in Qatar. The personal talks, which took place today (Saturday) in Doha, are the first since U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan last August.
Afghan cleric and foreign minister Amir Khan Mutachi said the Afghan delegation was focused on obtaining humanitarian aid, as well as implementing the agreement signed with Washington last year, which paved the way for the US final withdrawal from the country.
A group of women covered from head to toe with an armed Taliban pass by them. Photo: Reuters
The minister further said that he had asked the US to lift the restrictions on the Central Bank of Afghanistan. He added that the US had promised to provide Kabul with vaccines against Corona.
The delegation of the terrorist organization is expected to later also meet representatives from the European Union.
A U.S. State Department spokesman said last Friday that the talks were not about recognizing or legitimizing the Taliban as Afghan leaders, but rather pragmatic talks on issues of national interest to the United States. From the country.
He added that another goal is to push the organization to respect the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to form a broad government.
A reporter for Al Jazeera, who reported from Doha, said that the breakthrough expectations in the talks should be moderated, because there is a significant gap between the expectations and demands of the Biden government, and what the transitional government in Afghanistan hopes to achieve.
"The Taliban has sent senior representatives led by the Secretary of State. Diplomats from the State Department, members of USAID and people from the Intelligence Department are expected to arrive from the US side," the report said.