The US special envoys for Afghanistan, Thomas West, and Rina Amiri, will be meeting with a delegation of Taliban led by the group’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Mottaqi, in Qatar.
In a tweet on Thursday, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman of the Taliban’s foreign ministry, stated that Afghanistan’s priorities during the talks include ending sanctions and blacklists, unfreezing Afghanistan’s bank reserves, and stopping violations of Afghanistan’s airspace.
He mentioned that the Taliban delegation will also hold talks with Qatari government officials on bilateral issues during their visit.
Earlier, the US Department of State announced that their special envoys for Afghanistan have begun a five-day trip to Kazakhstan and Qatar to discuss Afghanistan with the Taliban delegation and representatives from neighboring countries.
However, the Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, has expressed opposition to the US engagement with the Taliban.
In a letter to the US foreign minister, Anthony Blinken, McCaul warned against US officials traveling to Afghanistan, citing the Taliban’s behavior since seizing power two years ago. He emphasized that the US should lead the international community in demanding reforms instead of normalizing relations with the Taliban.
In response to McCaul’s letter, the US Department of State clarified on Tuesday that they have no plans to send any officials to visit Afghanistan. The Deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State emphasized that if the Taliban desires international recognition, they must demonstrate concrete actions and implement policies that align with international norms and standards in Afghanistan.
