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Talks will be launched in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on Sunday, with the participation of the Taliban movement, which leads the government in Kabul, on issues related to human rights and humanitarian aid, according to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. While the Taliban hopes to end the atmosphere of war.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said that the Afghan delegation will meet with representatives and officials from a number of allied countries.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry stressed the need for the international community and Afghans from different parts of society to participate in a dialogue with the Taliban. She indicated that the Oslo talks would include Afghan women leaders, journalists, and human rights activists.
And the French press agency indicated that the Afghan delegation will meet between January 23 and 25 this year, officials from Norway and several countries, including the United States, Britain, France and Germany, as well as the European Union.
According to the French agency, it is expected that the talks – during the visit, which came at a Norwegian invitation – will focus on issues related to human rights, humanitarian aid and lifting restrictions on the funds of the Central Bank of Afghanistan.
An Afghan government delegation headed by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki had arrived in Oslo, in the first visit of its kind to a European country since the Taliban took power, in response to a Norwegian invitation.
Not a confession
Norway’s Foreign Minister Anken Hoetveldt has stressed that her country will be “clear” about what to expect, particularly around girls’ right to education and human rights.
She stressed that the planned meetings “do not constitute legitimization or recognition of the Taliban,” adding, “But we have to talk to the authorities who are running the de facto country. We cannot let the political situation lead to an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.”
On Thursday, the European Union announced the restoration of a “minimum presence” of its staff in Kabul in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Several countries, including Pakistan, Russia, China, Turkey, the UAE and Iran, have kept their embassies open in Kabul, but without recognizing the Taliban government.
Dispel the atmosphere of war
For his part, the Undersecretary of the Afghan Ministry of Information – spokesman for the Kabul government – Zabihullah Mujahid said that the talks in Norway will help dispel the atmosphere of war after two decades of fighting against foreign forces in Afghanistan.
“The Islamic Emirate has taken steps to meet the demands of Western countries and we hope to strengthen our relations through diplomacy with all countries, including European countries and the West in general, in addition to changing the atmosphere of war that prevailed into a peaceful one,” he added.
In light of the economic deterioration and the severe liquidity crisis, the United Nations warned that hunger threatens 23 million Afghans, and recently called for the release of frozen funds.