US, Taliban meet for First Time after Troop Withdrawal

Doha, MINA – Representatives of the Afghan government led by the Taliban and the US delegation finally met for the first time after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in August.

LThe meeting which took place on Saturday in Doha, Qatar discussed bilateral relations between Kabul and Washington, the implementation of the Doha agreement, humanitarian aid, and the frozen Afghan assets by the US.

“We clearly told them that trying to destabilize the government in Afghanistan is not good for anyone,” said Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister in the Taliban’s interim Cabinet, as quoted by Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Meanwhile, a senior US official said the meeting was not about recognizing the Taliban government.

The Taliban took control of the Afghan government on August 15, 2021. Its previous leader, President Ashraf Ghani, fled his country to avoid bloodshed.

Taliban, previously also ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Their reign ended after US-led foreign forces invaded the country in search of Al-Qaeda and other militant groups. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)