US officials meet with Taliban in Doha, discuss human rights, economy

WASHINGTON (AA): US officials met with representatives of the Taliban and “technocratic professionals” in Doha for talks on Sunday and Monday.

They urged Afghanistan’s rulers “to reverse policies responsible for the deteriorating human rights situation” in the country, “particularly for women, girls and vulnerable communities.”

Leading the discussion with the Taliban about “critical interests” was Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West, Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights Rina Amiri, and Chief of the US Mission to Afghanistan based in Doha Karen Decker, according to the State Department.

“U.S. officials identified areas for confidence building in support of the Afghan people. The American delegation also expressed deep concern regarding the humanitarian crisis and the need to continue to support aid organizations and UN bodies delivering assistance consistent with humanitarian principles,” said the statement.

“US officials took note of recent data indicating declining inflation, growth of merchandise exports and imports in Afghanistan in 2023 and voiced openness to a technical dialogue regarding economic stabilization issues soon,” the statement said.

“US officials took note of the Taliban’s continuing commitment to not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used by anyone to threaten the United States and its allies, and the two sides discussed Taliban efforts to fulfill security commitments,” it added.

Acknowledging that there has been a decrease in large-scale terrorist attacks against Afghan civilians, the statement said the US delegation pressed for the “immediate and unconditional release of detained US citizens, noting that these detentions were a significant obstacle to positive engagement.”