Taliban, US delegations hold first talks since Afghanistan withdrawal

Doha [Qatar], October 9 : The delegations of the Taliban and the United States on Saturday held their first meeting in Qatar's capital Doha, in a bid to turn the "new page on their relationship".
This is the first in-person meeting between the two sides since the US drawdown from Afghanistan in mid-August.
"The delegations of the Afghan government and the United States discussed turning the page on their relationship in Qatar as well as humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the implementation of the Doha peace agreement," Sputnik quoted Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as saying.
"The Afghan delegation demanded that Americans should not violate the Afghan airspace or interfere in the country's home affairs," Muttaqi said.
The Taliban also urged the US to lift curbs on the Afghan central bank's reserves. The US offered COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan, Sputnik reported.
Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price earlier said that the meeting between the delegation is "not about granting recognition or conferring legitimacy."
"This meeting is a continuation of the pragmatic engagements with the Taliban on issues of US vital national interest," Price said.
Since the Taliban's take over of Afghanistan, there are a handful of nations like China and Pakistan who have shown interest in establishing ties with the outfit. Other members of the international community are adopting a wait and watch policy.