Oslo
Talks between the Taliban and Afghan civil society members in Oslo on Sunday served as an “icebreaker”, on the eve of their meeting with Western diplomats to discuss human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, an Afghan participant said.
The first Taliban delegation to visit Europe since the hardline Islamists returned to power there, led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, spent the first day of their three-day visit talking with women activists and journalists, among others.
“It was a positive icebreaking meeting,” feminist activist Jamila Afghani told AFP. The negotiators “displayed goodwill… Let s see what their actions will be, based on their words”, she added.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a tweet, said: “All Afghans need to work together for better political, economic and security outcomes…
“The participants… recognised that understanding and joint cooperation are the only solutions.”
The closed-door discussions, facilitated by Norway, are being held at the Soria Moria Hotel, on a snowy hilltop outside Oslo.
Afghanistan s humanitarian situation has deteriorated drastically since last August when the Taliban stormed back to power 20 years after being toppled.
International aid came to a halt, worsening the plight of millions of people already suffering from hunger after several severe droughts.
