WEB DESK
The Taliban and Western diplomats launched high-level talks in Oslo Norway on Monday, according to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
The Taliban group has been pushing to unfreeze Afghan assets abroad. The gathering comes as Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis.
The Taliban’s delegation, led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan, met with envoys from the US, France, UK, Germany, the EU and Norway.
It’s the first talks that Western officials have held with the Taliban since the extremist group seized control of Afghanistan last August.
Khan told reporters in Oslo on Monday that the meeting is “an achievement in itself” for the Taliban.
“Norway providing us this opportunity is an achievement in itself because we shared the stage with the world,” he said. “From these meetings we are sure of getting support for Afghanistan’s humanitarian, health and education sectors.”