Officials on both sides said senior Taliban officials and US representatives will hold talks on Saturday and Sunday about stopping extremist groups in Afghanistan and easing the evacuation of foreign nationals and Afghans from the country.
It is the first such meeting since US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in late August, ending a 20-year military presence there, and the Taliban’s rise to power in the nation.
The talks are to be held in Doha, the capital of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar.
‘Rediscussions on the 2020 peace deal’
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, who lives in Doha, told The Associated Press The talks on Saturday will also revisit the 2020 peace deal signed by the Taliban with Washington.
Agreement paves way for final US Withdrawal.
Shaheen said, “Yes, there has been a meeting regarding bilateral relations and implementation of the Doha Agreement. “It covers a variety of topics.”
“The talks will also include terrorism,” a second official said on condition of anonymity. Because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
since the Taliban took powerIslamic State, the terrorist group, has intensified attacks on the group as well as ethnic and religious minorities.
An IS suicide bomber on Friday killed At least 55 worshipers and dozens were injured at a Shia mosque in the deadliest attack since leaving the US.
Since its rise in eastern Afghanistan in 2014, IS has launched repeated attacks on the country’s Shiites. IS is also being seen as the biggest threat to America.
Read more: US, Taliban sign historic agreement for Afghan peace
US-Taliban a settlement In 2020, which was negotiated by the Trump administration, the Taliban sought to break ties with terrorist groups and guarantee that Afghanistan would not again harbor terrorists who might attack the United States and its allies.
During the weekend talks, the two sides are expected to discuss how to deal with the escalating threat.
The Taliban have said they do not want US counter-terrorism aid and warned Washington against any so-called “over-the-horizon”. attack On Afghan territory from outside the country’s borders.
‘US will pressurize Taliban to fulfill promises’
Meanwhile, the United States wants to hold Taliban leaders to commitments that they will allow Americans and other foreign nationals to leave Afghanistan, as well as Afghans who have never been with the US military or government and other Afghan allies, a US official said. used to work.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the meetings by name.
ns Biden Administration The US has raised questions and complaints about the slow pace of the US evacuation since the US withdrawal from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday that 105 US citizens and 95 green card holders have since departed on flights facilitated by the US. That number hadn’t changed for more than a week.
American veterans and other individuals have helped others leave the country on charter flights, and some Americans and others have crossed land borders.
Hundreds of other foreign nationals and Afghans have also left on recent flights.
Dozens of US citizens are still seeking exit, according to the State Department, with thousands of green-card holders and Afghans and family members deemed eligible for US visas.
US officials have cited, among other hold-ups, the difficulty in verifying a flight manifest without any US officials on the ground in Afghanistan.
Americans also intend to pressure the Taliban to comply rights of women and girlsThe Taliban, many of whom are reportedly holding back from returning to jobs and classes, and Afghans at large, to form an inclusive government, the official said.
US officials will also encourage Taliban officials to give humanitarian agencies free access to areas in need amid the economic turmoil following the US departure and the Taliban takeover.
The official said it was not clear whether the US would recognize the Taliban as the country’s legitimate governors.