The Afghan government, which is managed by the "Taliban" movement, announced today, Monday, that it met with U.S. special envoy "Tom West" in Qatar to discuss lifting travel restrictions and other limitations imposed on Taliban leaders, as well as the recovery of Afghan central bank assets frozen abroad. The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after foreign forces ended their 20-year presence in the country. However, the government formed by the Islamic movement, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has not been recognized by any country and faces financial sanctions and travel restrictions.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi stated in an English-language statement: "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan confirmed that it is vital for building trust to remove the blacklist and reward lists and to unfreeze bank reserves so that Afghans can establish an economy that does not rely on foreign aid." Balkhi mentioned that a Taliban delegation, led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and including officials from the Afghan central bank and the Ministry of Finance, met with a U.S. delegation comprised of 15 members from various ministries over two days in Doha.
There was no immediate comment from the United States regarding the talks. Most Taliban leaders require a permit from the United Nations to travel abroad, and the country's banking sector has been paralyzed due to financial sanctions. The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in New York froze about seven billion dollars of Afghan central bank funds in August 2021 after the Taliban took control of the country following a 20-year insurgency. Half of these funds are now in an Afghan fund in Switzerland. A recent U.S.-funded financial audit of the Afghan central bank failed to gain Washington's support for the return of banking assets from the Swiss-based fund.
**U.S. Pressure**
The U.S. State Department stated today, Monday, that American officials urged the Taliban to reverse policies responsible for deteriorating human rights conditions in Afghanistan. The State Department added in a statement that they "also pressed Taliban representatives during the meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha, to immediately release detained Americans."
