New Delhi: The United States on Sunday said that the first direct talks with the Taliban since the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan were "candid and professional." However, the US said that the Taliban will be judged on their action, rather than their words.
State Department spokesman Ned Price informed Reuters that the US delegation who visited Doha for talks with the Taliban was focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for U.S. citizens, other foreign nationals and Afghans. The US further stressed human rights, thus asking the Taliban to respect the rights of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society.
"The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words," Price was quoted by Reuters in its report.
The US provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people was also discussed during the talks, Price said.
However, there was no statement regarding any conclusive agreements between the US and the Taliban.
What Taliban Said?
The United States has agreed to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan. However, it refuses to give political recognition to the country's new Taliban rulers, the Taliban informed AP.
Earlier on Saturday, Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was quoted by Al-Jazeera in its TV report as saying that the Taliban representatives asked the US delegation to uplift a ban on Afghan central bank reserves.
Taliban further warned the US not to "destabilize" the regime. "We clearly told them that trying to destabilise the government in Afghanistan is good for no one," Muttaqi was quoted by Afghan state news agency Bakhtar in its report.
"Good relations with Afghanistan are good for everyone. Nothing should be done to weaken the existing government in Afghanistan which can lead to problems for the people," he was quoted by AFP in its report.
(With input from Agencies)