Washington: Following two days of negotiations in Qatar, the US State Department said on Monday that US officials informed the Taliban in Afghanistan that Washington was amenable to technical discussions regarding economic stability and discussions regarding the fight against drug trafficking.
Taliban officials brought up the easing of travel and other restrictions on Taliban leaders as well as the return of assets held abroad by the Afghan Central Bank, according to the Kabul government.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 after US-led foreign forces withdrew amid chaos following a 20-year conflict, no nation has formally recognised them.
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According to a statement from the State Department, the US side reiterated concerns about "deteriorating" human rights and renewed calls for the Taliban to lift restrictions on women's employment and secondary education as well as the release of Americans who have been detained.
Additionally, it contained encouraging remarks about better financial data, including lower inflation, and decreased opium poppy cultivation as a result of a 2022 ban. In response, the US side "voiced openness to continue dialogue on counternarcotics," according to the statement. Additionally, the US side was prepared "for a technical dialogue regarding issues relating to economic stabilisation soon."
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Since the Taliban government, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), took power, the majority of Taliban leaders need UN approval to travel abroad, and sanctions have crippled Afghanistan's banking industry.
"IEA reiterated that it was crucial for confidence-building" that travel restrictions on Taliban leaders be lifted and central bank reserves be unfrozen "so that Afghans can establish an economy unreliant on foreign aid," foreign ministry spokesman Qahar Balkhi said in an English-language statement.
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After the Taliban seized power, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York frozen about $7 billion in funds belonging to the Afghan central bank. Currently, the Afghan Fund in Switzerland holds half of the funds.
A US-funded audit of the Afghan central bank was unsuccessful in getting Washington to support the return of trust fund assets