First US-Taliban talks offer some stability but not much else for either side
- US State Department says discussions were candid and professional but ‘the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words’
- The talks came ahead of a G20 meeting on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan
“The two sides also discussed the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance directly to the Afghan people,” the US Department of State said in a statement on Sunday.
“The discussions were candid and professional with the US delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.”
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Since the Taliban seized power, Afghanistan has faced a serious economic crisis that risks spiralling into humanitarian disaster, with its important economic pillar – foreign aid – largely cut off because the new regime lacks international recognition. Washington has also frozen billions of dollars of the former Afghan government’s assets held in the US Federal Reserve.
Gu Dingguo, a research fellow at East China Normal University, said the US had not substantially responded to the Taliban’s core demands during the meeting.
“The US has not made any promises about lifting its ban on Afghanistan’s central bank reserves, nor did it pledge any substantive assistance to Afghanistan during the meeting,” Gu said.
At the same time, the Taliban could not satisfy some of the US main concerns, Gu said, including whether the Taliban regime could establish an inclusive government representing all groups, especially the pro-US camp from the former government.
The Taliban set up an interim government last month led by hardliners and with Taliban figures taking up all major posts.
“The Taliban’s promise to establish an inclusive government cannot be delivered because they are currently caught in the internal fights for power. There are not enough government positions for Taliban figures, let alone for other groups,” Gu said.
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Yan Wei, an international relations professor at Northwest University in China, said the talks showed that relations between the Taliban and US were not completely hostile, and that despite the disputes, the two sides could seek common ground.
“Although the meeting is unlikely to substantively improve the relations between the two sides, such official contact is of great value to the stability of the Taliban regime and to the US maintaining its influence and interests in the region,” Yan said.
