A delegation of Taliban is expected in Norway on Sunday until January 25 for meetings focused on the critical humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and human rights, announced Friday 21 January the Norwegian diplomacy.
In Oslo, the Taliban are expected to meet with representatives of Norwegian authorities and other allied countries, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and the EU. As well as representatives of Afghan civil society, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Respect for human rights, particularly those of women, which is a condition for the possible return of international aid, which used to finance 80% of the Afghan budget, will be at the heart of these talks, as the country is mired in a deep humanitarian crisis.
The talks “are not a legitimization or recognition of the Taliban,” Norwegian diplomatic chief Anniken Huitfeldt said Friday. “But we have to talk to the authorities who are running the country de facto. We cannot let the political situation lead to an even greater humanitarian disaster. We are extremely concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, where millions of people are facing a humanitarian disaster on a massive scale.”
The Taliban, in power since August after their conquest of the country, wish to “change the warlike atmosphere (…) into a peaceful situation”, said Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamist government.
The European Union announced on Thursday 20 January that it would re-establish a “minimal presence” of its personnel in Kabul in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, while reaffirming that it does not officially recognize the Taliban-led government.
Several countries, including Pakistan, Russia, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, kept their embassies open in Kabul after the Taliban victory in mid-August, but did not recognize their government. Western diplomats had begun to evacuate their personnel in the first half of 2021, when U.S. troops began their operations to withdraw permanently from Afghanistan.
