US, Taliban Talks Today On Releasing Frozen Afghan Funds After Earthquake
NDTV
Afghanistan: US froze $7 billion in reserves when Taliban took over last year, and the international community halted billions in direct aid.
The United States and the Taliban plan talks Thursday in Qatar on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves following a devastating earthquake, officials said, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population.
The White House said it is working "urgently" on the effort, but a member of the Afghan central bank's board said it could take time to finalise.
The Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, arrived in the Qatari capital Doha along with finance ministry and central bank officials for talks, Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmed said.
The State Department said its envoy on Afghanistan, Tom West, would take part and said the United States was focused on a range of interests including human rights and opening schools for girls.
