OSLO: The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a Taliban delegation will hold talks with Western officials in Oslo next week on human rights and humanitarian aid. The visit from Sunday to Tuesday will include meetings with "Norwegian officials and officials from several allied countries", including Britain, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
Norway's Foreign Minister Aniken Huitfeld said: "We are deeply concerned about the dire situation in Afghanistan, where millions of people are facing a completely humanitarian disaster."
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan last summer as international troops withdrew after two decades of presence. A US-led invasion in late 2001 brought down the Taliban in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened since August. International aid came to an abrupt halt and the United States deposited $9.5 billion (8.4 billion euros) of assets in the Afghan central bank.
"To be able to help the civilian population in Afghanistan, it is essential that Afghans from different parts of the international community and society engage in dialogue with the Taliban," Huitfeld said.
The famine now threatens 23 million Afghans, or 55% of the population, according to the United Nations, which says the country needs $5 billion from donor countries this year to address the humanitarian crisis.
Emphasizing that Norway is "clear about our expectations", particularly on "girls' education and human rights", Huitfeld said the meetings "will not represent the legitimacy or recognition of the Taliban".
"But we must talk to the real authorities in the country. We cannot allow the political situation to lead to a worse humanitarian disaster," Huitfeld said. The European Union announced on Thursday that it would re-establish a "minimum attendance" of its staff in Kabul to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. No country has yet recognized the Taliban government.
Many countries, including China, Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, have kept their embassies open in Kabul since the Taliban victory last year. Norway, which is used for mediation, has maintained dialogue with the group in recent years, after participating in the international Operation Enduring Freedom, which ousted the Taliban from power.
After massive human rights crushes during his first term in power between 1996 and 2001, the international community is waiting to see how the Taliban intend to rule Islamist fundamentalist Afghanistan.