US, Taliban to hold first talks since Afghanistan withdrawal

The talks, to take place in Doha, will revisit the peace agreement the Taliban signed with the US last year.

Senior Taliban officials and United States representatives are set to hold talks in Qatar about containing hardline groups in Afghanistan and the evacuation of foreigners and Afghans from the country.

The meeting on Saturday and Sunday will be the first since US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August, ending a 20-year military presence, and the Taliban’s rise to power.

A spokesperson of the US State Department said on Friday evening that the talks are not about recognising or legitimising the Taliban as Afghanistan’s leaders, but are a continuation of pragmatic talks on issues of national interest for the US.