Taliban leaders will meet in Doha on Tuesday with European Union (EU) officials, their foreign minister announced on Monday, while the new Afghan regime is trying to break diplomatic isolation, AFP reports.
“Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will meet with EU representatives. We have positive meetings with representatives of other countries, “said Amir Khan Muttaqi at a conference in the Qatari capital, without specifying the positions held by these European officials or their number.
“We want positive relations with the whole world. We believe in balanced international relations. We believe that such a balanced relationship can save Afghanistan from instability, “he said.
The new Islamist regime, which came to power in Afghanistan in late August, has not been recognized by any country. But in the face of the imminence of a serious humanitarian crisis in this country that depends entirely on international aid after 20 years of war, diplomatic maneuvers are on the rise.
In Doha on Saturday, the Taliban met with US officials for the first direct talks with Washington since taking power. Their foreign minister urged the United States to establish “good relations” and not “weaken the current government in Afghanistan.”
After years of talks between the Taliban and the United States, Qatar continues to act as a key mediator between the Islamist movement and Western chancelleries.
Last week, senior Taliban officials received the British emissary in Afghanistan, Simon Gass, in Kabul, AFP notes.
