ALBAWABA - US officials are set to meet with Taliban officials in the Qatari capital, Doha, this week, as stated by the US State Department.
The meeting will include discussions with "technocratic professionals" from important Afghan ministries. The topics to be addressed during the meeting include the economy, security, women's rights, drug production, and smuggling.
"No change in US policy"
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, clarified that the meeting does not indicate recognition, normalization, or legitimacy of the Taliban. He reiterated the US's concerns about human rights violations and the exclusion of women and girls from Afghan society under Taliban rule.
Patel emphasized, "This does not signal any change in US policy. We have been very clear that we will engage with the Taliban when it is in our interest to do so."
After the withdrawal of NATO and US forces in 2021, the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, 20 years after their previous rule.
