US delegation met with Taliban representatives in Doha

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In meetings held in Doha, US officials met with representatives of the Taliban, expressing condemnation of human rights abuses in Afghanistan while acknowledging progress in combating opium, according to a statement from the US State Department on Monday.

The US delegation included Afghanistan Special Representative Thomas West, Special Envoy for Afghan Women and Girls and Human Rights, Reena Amiri, and US Chargé d'Affaires to Afghanistan, based in Doha, Karen Decker.

The US State Department's statement mentioned the participation of "senior officials from the Taliban," without naming them, in addition to "technocrats."

Qatar has played a crucial role in safeguarding US interests since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021 following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

During the meeting, the US delegation expressed "serious concern" about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and accused the Taliban of causing a "deterioration of human rights, particularly concerning women, girls, and vulnerable communities."

Since taking control, the Taliban authorities have imposed laws aligned with their strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia, and for instance, they recently burned musical instruments confiscated in the Herat province.

On the other hand, the delegation was "informed" of a "renewed commitment" by the Taliban not to allow Afghanistan to become a platform for attacks against the United States and its allies, and they acknowledged a "reduction in large-scale terrorist attacks targeting Afghan civilians."

Furthermore, Washington called for the "immediate release of detained American citizens" in Afghanistan.

Regarding the opium eradication efforts, the United States acknowledged a "significant decline" in cultivated areas this season since the Taliban prohibited the cultivation of the plant from which the substance is extracted.

The statement noted that the US delegation met with representatives from the Afghan Central Bank and Ministry of Finance, learning about the "reduction in inflation" and the increase in exports and imports of goods in 2023.

The US delegation expressed their readiness for "a technical dialogue on economic stability issues in the near future."