KABUL: The interim Taliban administration in Afghanistan has officially confirmed a meeting between its top diplomat and US officials in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for later this week. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman for the interim Afghan Foreign Ministry, revealed that acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, along with a high-level delegation, will travel to Doha to hold talks with US representatives.
Balkhi stated in a Pashto language tweet that the priority issues for Afghanistan in these talks include ending sanctions and blacklists of Taliban leaders, the release of Afghanistan’s bank reserves, and discussions on the violation of Afghanistan’s airspace. The Afghan delegation will also meet with Qatari officials during their visit.
قرار است هیأتی به ریاست مولوی امیرخان متقی وزیر امور خارجهٔ ا.ا.ا در پایان ماه جاری میلادی به دوحه سفر کند و در آنجا با مقامات امریکایی روی مسائل مربوطه گفتوگو کند. pic.twitter.com/Y51d1gj1Jm
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) July 27, 2023
Afghanistan's priority during talks are ending sanctions & blacklists, unfreezing Afghanistan's bank reserves & stopping violation of Afghanistan's airspace.
During the visit, the Afghan delegation will also hold talks with Qatari government officials on bilateral issues.
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) July 27, 2023
The State Department in the US had already announced its plans for the meeting, stating that American officials would engage with Taliban representatives and “technocratic professionals” from key Afghan ministries. The priority topics to be discussed during the talks include humanitarian support for the people of Afghanistan, economic stabilization, fair treatment of all Afghans, including women and girls, security issues, and efforts to counter narcotics production and trafficking.
It is noteworthy that the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after the US-backed Kabul administration officials fled the country, and foreign forces withdrew. However, the United States has not recognized the Taliban government and has imposed sanctions in response to the situation.
US Policy Toward Afghan Taliban
Regarding the meeting, State Department Deputy spokesman Vedant Patel clarified that it does not signify any change in the US policy towards the Taliban. He emphasized that engagement with the Taliban would be based on the US’s interests and does not indicate recognition, normalization, or legitimacy of the group. The US remains concerned about various issues, including human rights abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan, and these matters continue to be of immense concern to the United States.
The meeting in Doha comes amidst visits to Kazakhstan and Qatar by US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri. In Astana, they are participating in a C5+1 Special Session on Afghanistan, alongside representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, focusing on advancing women’s economic empowerment in Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. The C5+1 is a key dialogue platform between the US and regional states in the Central Asian region.
