Talks with US to continue if necessary, Taliban says

KABUL－The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the caretaker government in Afghanistan said on Monday that talks with the United States will continue if necessary.

Over the weekend, a Taliban delegation led by Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the caretaker government, met with a US interagency delegation in Doha, Qatar.

"The two-day dialogue between the delegations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States of America went well. Political issues were discussed in detail during the meeting and full implementation of the Doha agreement was considered by the Islamic Emirate as the best way for resolving problems," said the ministry in a statement.

The US said on Sunday that the first face-to-face meeting was "candid and professional" and it reiterated that the Taliban would be judged on their actions, not just their words.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals and Afghans, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society.

"The discussions were candid and professional with the US delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words," said Price in a statement.

He said both sides also discussed the US' provision of robust humanitarian assistance directly to the Afghan people.

Humanitarian assistance

The foreign ministry in Kabul said the two-day meeting went well. It welcomed the US' offer of humanitarian assistance and said local authorities would facilitate delivery and cooperate with aid groups, but said such assistance "should not be linked to political issues".

It was agreed that such meetings will continue to be held in future if necessary.

This marked the first in-person meeting between the US and the Taliban since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of August.

The US and Britain warned their citizens on Monday, a day after the talks, to stay away from hotels in the Afghan capital Kabul, particularly the well-known Serena, citing "security threats" in the area.

Serena is the best-known luxury hotel in Kabul, popular with foreign visitors. It has since been the target of extremist attacks twice.

Xinhua - Agencies