WASHINGTON, USA – On June 29 and 30, Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West led another senior interagency delegation including representatives from the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue discussions with senior Taliban representatives and technocratic professionals in Doha, Qatar, says the office of the spokesperson, US Department of State.
Loss of life and suffering in Afghanistan
In a press release the US Department of State, noted that: “The United States expressed condolences for the loss of life and suffering in Afghanistan caused by recent earthquakes and outlined robust US support, including $55 million in new assistance from USAID for the delivery of life-saving shelter, sanitation, and hygiene materials for affected populations, and to support the ongoing crisis across the country.”
According to the press release: “The two teams discussed the international community’s humanitarian support for Afghanistan, including over $774 million provided by the United States since August 2021. In this regard, the United States registered concerns regarding increased interference by the Taliban in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Both sides agreed on the critical importance of maintaining uninterrupted access to basic healthcare throughout the country while addressing concerns regarding transparency in delivery of services.”
Economic stabilization
Regarding economic stabilization, the United States welcomed a recent payment of arrears owed to international financial institutions and discussed US support for steps to enhance the availability of afghani currency in the economy.
“The two sides discussed in detail US actions to preserve $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank reserves for the benefit of the Afghan people as well as steps to build international confidence in the central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank,” said the US Department of State, in a press release.
Human rights
The Taliban’s ongoing and expanding restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls was a central focus of US officials’ engagement with the Taliban.
The United States supports the Afghan people’s demands that girls be allowed to return to school and that women be allowed to work, contribute to the country’s economic growth, and move and express themselves freely, lines of effort that Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri is leading in coordination with her inter-agency colleagues.
Special Representative West made clear the critical linkage between progress on protection of Afghans’ rights and steps toward normalizing America’s ties with the Taliban.
Counternarcotics
The two sides noted an interest in additional exchanges regarding counternarcotics, and disaster response preparedness.
“The Taliban reiterated their pledge to not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used by anyone to threaten any country. US officials expressed concern regarding the continuing presence of al-Qaida, ISIS-K, and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan,” said the US Department of State, press release.
