US, Taliban Hold First Direct Talks Since Afghanistan Withdrawal

The United States and the Taliban will hold their first in-person talks since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the State Department said.

The US delegation will meet Saturday and Sunday in the Qatari capital of Doha with senior Taliban representatives, according to a State Department spokesperson.

While US military and intelligence officials have remained in contact with the Taliban since the Islamist group seized Kabul in August as US troops pulled out, the meeting will be the first that is face to face.

"We will press the Taliban to respect the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to form an inclusive government with broad support," the spokesperson said Friday.

"As Afghanistan faces the prospect of a severe economic contraction and possible humanitarian crisis, we will also press the Taliban to allow humanitarian agencies free access to areas of need," he said.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said that the talks will also revisit the peace agreement the Taliban signed with Washington in Doha in 2020. The document had paved the way for the subsequent US withdrawal.

“Yes, there is a meeting about bilateral relations and implementation of the Doha agreement,” said Shaheen. “It covers various topics.”