In the Doha talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban in Doha. Washington has expressed its willingness to talk with Kabul to stabilise the economy and stop drug trafficking.
A statement released by the US State Department on Tuesday. Said that during the talks, US officials urged the Taliban to change their human rights policies. Which have particularly affected women, girls, and vulnerable communities.
US officials also expressed serious concern over the detention of Afghan nationals, media crackdowns, and religious restrictions.
According to the statement, the United States also supported the demand of the Afghan people to respect their rights. And give importance to their opinion on the future of the country.
Two-day talks were held between US and Taliban officials in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on July 30 and 31.
The US special representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, and the US representative to defend the rights of Afghan women, Reena Amiri, attend, while the Taliban delegation was represent by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaqi.
According to the statement, U.S. officials noted the Taliban’s continued commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be use to threaten the United States and its allies and the Taliban’s efforts to meet security commitments. Discussed.
US officials also called for the immediate and unconditional release of detained US citizens.
The Kabul administration has said that its delegation at the talks demanded the lifting of travel bans on Taliban leaders. And the return of Afghanistan’s central bank assets, among other restrictions.
After taking control of Kabul in August 2021, no country has yet recognised the Taliban government.
The US withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 2021, after a 20-year conflict.
US State Department said
The US State Department said in reference to the talks that Washington reiterated concerns over the poor human rights situation in Afghanistan. And asked the Taliban to lift restrictions on girls’ secondary education and women’s employment and release detained Americans. The demand was made once again.
The American delegation also met representatives of the Afghan Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance and discussed the challenges facing Afghanistan’s economy and banking sector.
Most Taliban leaders need UN permission to travel abroad. And Afghanistan’s banking sector has been crippled by sanctions since the Taliban took over.
Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said in a statement that the Islamic Emirate once again reiterated that for confidence building, it is important to lift the travel ban on Taliban leaders and restore the central bank’s reserves. So that Afghans can establish an economy that does not depend on foreign aid.’
After the Taliban took control of Kabul, about seven billion dollars from the Afghan Central Bank were frozen at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
