The Afghan Taliban announced on Saturday that a high-level delegation of its government met with a U.S. delegation in the Qatari capital Doha, marking the first such gathering since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in late August and the first foreign visit by the Taliban government officials.
The two sides discussed establishing a new chapter of bilateral ties, and the Taliban officials called on the U.S. side to ease the prohibition on the frozen assets at the Afghan Central Bank, said Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the newly-formed administration.
The Taliban delegation also urged the U.S. side to respect the sovereignty of Afghanistan’s airspace and not to interfere in its affairs, he said, stressing the focus was on humanitarian aid and the implementation of all provisions of the Doha Agreement concluded between the two sides in February, \s2020.
The group will meet in the next days with members of the European Union to discuss the latest developments, according to Muttaqi.
The Twitter account of a Taliban spokesman announced that on Friday a high-level delegation led by Muttaqi travelled to Doha to engage with Qatari authorities and representatives of other nations on the current political situation and the country’s external relations.
Qatar plays a major role in the Afghan issue, as it facilitated the evacuation and transfer of tens of thousands of people from Kabul, helped reopen Kabul Airport to receive aid and flights and provided financial aid to Afghanistan estimated at 50 million U.S. dollars, according to official statements.
The Taliban has maintained a political office in Doha since 2013. The Qatari city has for years witnessed negotiations between the Taliban and the United States and is where the peace agreement between the two sides was signed in February last year, which called for the departure of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
