US State Department says talks with Taliban delegation in Doha ‘candid’

Washington : The US State Department says two-day talks with the Taliban (banned in Russia as a terrorist group) delegation in Doha, Qatar were professional and Washington will be monitoring the Taliban’s actions.

“The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words,” US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

The Doha talks were held on October 9 and 10 and focused on security issues, as well as human rights, including the participation of women in various aspects of Afghan society, according to the US State Department.

“The two sides also discussed the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people,” Price specified.

Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that the Taliban called negotiations with US delegates in Doha fruitful and that there were hopes that the meeting would be a step toward the new Afghan authorities’ recognition by Washington.

The Taliban said in a statement after the talks that the two-day dialogue “went well” and that political issues were discussed in detail. According to the Taliban, US representatives promised to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghans, as well as facilities for other humanitarian organizations to deliver aid. The Taliban expressed readiness to cooperate on humanitarian issues and to facilitate the movement of foreign nationals.

This was the first meeting of US officials with the Taliban since the United States withdrew troops from Afghanistan in August.

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