The European Union says the Taliban has asked for help in keeping Afghanistan's airports running in weekend talks in Qatar with EU officials, as the bloc said it could unlock extra financing for the cash-strapped country if the group met conditions.
The two-day talks took place ahead of two weeks of planned meetings between U.S. officials and the Taliban set to start on November 29, also in the Qatari capital.
The international community has refused to recognize Afghanistan’s new rulers after the Taliban toppled the internationally backed government in Kabul on August 15.
The abrupt withdrawal of most foreign aid and development support following the hard-line Islamist group’s takeover has sent the war-torn country’s economy into free fall. Reserves of the Afghan central bank held abroad were also frozen.
SEE ALSO: 'We Are Hungry': Afghan Schools Left Without Teachers As Instructors Struggle To SurviveAs a result, the United Nations says Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than half of its population at risk of not having enough to eat during the coming winter.
In a statement late on November 28, the EU's European External Action Service (EEAS) said the Taliban delegation in Doha was led by interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and also included the interim ministers for education and health, the acting central bank governor.
The EU side was headed by the EU special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, with officials from the EEAS and the European Commission's service handling humanitarian aid, international partnerships, and migration.
"The dialogue does not imply recognition by the EU of the interim [Taliban] government but is part of EU's operational engagement, in the interest of the EU and the Afghan people," the EEAS insisted.
SEE ALSO: In The Balance: Urgent Calls For Taliban, UNESCO To Safeguard Famed MinaretIn the meeting, the EU officials and Taliban representatives “expressed grave concern about the worsening humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as winter is arriving,” it said.
The sides “underlined the fundamental importance of keeping Afghan airports open” to facilitate the safe passage of Afghans and foreign nationals who wish to leave Afghanistan, the statement said, adding: “In this regard, both sides underlined the fundamental importance of keeping Afghan airports open, and the Afghan delegation requested assistance for maintaining operations of airports.”
The United States and its allies evacuated tens of thousands of foreigners and at-risk Afghans ahead the chaotic end of the U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan in late August following two decades of war.
But thousands more people want to leave the country, with those who worked closely with Western militaries seen to be in particular danger from potential Taliban retaliation.
The EEAS said that while EU development assistance to Afghanistan remains suspended, the bloc is ready to “consider providing substantial financial assistance for the direct benefit of the Afghan people, in addition to humanitarian assistance.”
SEE ALSO: The Taliban Takes Power And The Lights Go Off In Central AfghanistanSuch assistance would be channeled through international organizations and nongovernmental organizations to help to ensure essential services such as education and health, the bloc said.
“This includes providing equal access to education at all levels for girls and boys with school curricula meeting international standards, and protecting the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”
According to the EU statement, the Taliban vowed to stick by its promise of "amnesty" for Afghans who had worked for the Western-backed government in Kabul, and reiterated they would uphold human rights "in line with Islamic principles."
EU officials pressed the group to create an "inclusive government," foster democracy, ensure girls had equal access to schooling, and prevent Afghanistan serving as a base for any group "that threatens the security of others."
SEE ALSO: Fears For Afghan Professor's Safety After He Lambasts Taliban On Live TVThe talks between the United States and the Taliban are set to resume in Doha on November 29, with the State Department’s Special Representative Thomas West heading the U.S. delegation.
The sides will discuss “our vital national interests when it comes to Afghanistan," the department said on November 23, including counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance, and “safe passage for U.S. citizens and for Afghans to whom we have a special commitment,” department spokesman Ned Price said on November 23.
West was part of the U.S. delegation in meetings with the Taliban in Doha in October -- the first such talks between the United States and the group after the U.S.-led military pullout following two decades of war.