“The Islamic Emirate has taken steps to meet the demands of the Western world, and with the help of diplomacy we hope to strengthen our relations with all countries, including European countries and the West in general,” Mujahid told the AFP news agency.
In the interview in Kabul, he says that the Taliban wants “to turn the war atmosphere into a peaceful situation”.
No country has yet recognized the Taliban regime, which was notorious for gross human rights violations when the latter took power in Afghanistan.
The planned talks between the Taliban and Western representatives on human rights and emergency aid will take place in Oslo from Sunday.
The delegation, led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is leaving Kabul on Saturday, will meet with representatives of Norway and several other countries, including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy in Oslo.
The delegation is also expected to meet with Afghan civilians, including women leaders and journalists.
– These meetings do not imply a legitimation or recognition of the Taliban, emphasizes Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.
– But we have to talk to the actual authorities in the country. We can not allow the political situation to lead to an even worse humanitarian catastrophe, she says.
The background for the talks is, among other things, that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is going from bad to worse after the Taliban took over in August. 23 million Afghans are now threatened with starvation, and the UN says $ 5 billion in international aid is needed to deal with the crisis in the country.
(©NTB)
–
