Taliban meet with UK, Iran delegations
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders met Tuesday with UK officials for the first time since taking power, a move the group hopes will pave the way for the country to refill cash-starved coffers as it teeters on the brink of economic collapse.
The Taliban said meanwhile they arrested 11 members of the rival Islamic State group.
The Taliban’s meeting with British diplomats in the capital Kabul came a day after they met with an Iranian delegation – another first since assuming the helm – to discuss trade relations, a key driver of Afghanistan’s economy.
The Taliban met with Sir Simon Gass, the British prime minister’s high representative for Afghan transition, and Martin Longden, the chargé d’affaires of the UK mission to Afghanistan in Doha.
The meeting marked Britain’s first diplomatic visit to the country since the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, and took control of Afghanistan following the US exit.
After the meeting, Longden tweeted that “substantial discussions” were held with the Taliban leadership covering a wide range of topics, including the humanitarian crisis, terrorism and the importance for safe passage for UK and Afghan nationals, and the rights of women and girls.
He fell short of recognising their government officially, a Taliban wish, and described the meeting as a “test.”
“It’s early days and unsurprisingly, there are points of difference between us. But such difficult challenges lie ahead for Afghanistan (and beyond),” he tweeted. “It’s right to test if we can engage pragmatically and find common ground — in the interests of both the UK and Afghan peoples.”