Representatives of the Taliban ruling Afghanistan have arrived in Oslo, where they will meet on Monday with diplomats from the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and the European Union.
The delegation is led by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaki.
These are the first official talks the Taliban has held in Europe since seizing power in Afghanistan last August.
They are expected to seek international financial assistance due to the humanitarian crisis in their country.
For its part, the West is expected to impose conditions on the Taliban on countering terrorism and respect for women’s rights.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Aniken Huitfeld emphasized that the Taliban’s participation in the Oslo talks did not mean official recognition of their rule.
The Taliban spoke to members of Afghan civil society on Sunday, and the meeting served to “break the ice”, civil activists said.
It took place on the eve of talks between Islamic fundamentalists and Western diplomats, BNR reported.
International aid to Afghanistan has stopped since August, and the United States has also frozen $ 9.5 billion in assets of the Afghan Central Bank.
Unemployment has risen sharply and civil servants’ salaries have not been paid for months in this drought-ravaged country. According to the UN, 23 million Afghans, or 55 percent of the population, are now at risk of starvation
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