A Taliban delegation led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has started three days of talks in Oslo with Western government officials and Afghan civil society representatives.
Human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where hunger threatens millions, will be in focus at talks opening Sunday.
In their first visit to Europe since returning to power in August, the Taliban will meet Norwegian officials as well as representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the European Union.
The Taliban delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi.
The delegation will be pushed on promises to uphold human rights in return for access to billions of dollars in frozen humanitarian aid.
International aid, which financed around 80 percent of the Afghan budget, came to a sudden halt and the United States has frozen $9.5 billion in assets in the Afghan central bank. Hunger now threatens 23 million Afghans, or 55 percent of the population, according to the United Nations, which says it needs $4.4 billion from donor countries this year to address the humanitarian crisis.
“In Norway, we have a meeting with the US and also with the European Union on matters of mutual interest. And one part of our meetings would be with our Afghan diaspora who are outside the country, especially in Europe,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman.
“Their ideas, consultations, and plans will be heard. This means that meetings for mutual understanding will continue between Afghans.”
The hard-line Islamists were toppled in 2001 but swiftly stormed back to power in August last year, as international troops in Afghanistan began their final withdrawal. Since then, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically.
Human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where hunger threatens millions, will be in focus at talks opening Sunday.
In their first visit to Europe since returning to power in August, the Taliban will meet Norwegian officials as well as representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the European Union.
The Taliban delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi.
The delegation will be pushed on promises to uphold human rights in return for access to billions of dollars in frozen humanitarian aid.
International aid, which financed around 80 percent of the Afghan budget, came to a sudden halt and the United States has frozen $9.5 billion in assets in the Afghan central bank. Hunger now threatens 23 million Afghans, or 55 percent of the population, according to the United Nations, which says it needs $4.4 billion from donor countries this year to address the humanitarian crisis.
“In Norway, we have a meeting with the US and also with the European Union on matters of mutual interest. And one part of our meetings would be with our Afghan diaspora who are outside the country, especially in Europe,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman.
“Their ideas, consultations, and plans will be heard. This means that meetings for mutual understanding will continue between Afghans.”
The hard-line Islamists were toppled in 2001 but swiftly stormed back to power in August last year, as international troops in Afghanistan began their final withdrawal. Since then, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically.
