The Taliban seized Kabul and seized power in Afghanistan on August 16. Since then, they have ruled Afghanistan. Western countries are reluctant to establish contact with the new regime, but recently there have been diplomatic contacts.

Norway has invited representatives of the Taliban to Oslo to meet with Norwegian authorities, representatives of the international community and other Afghans with a civil society background, informing Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting in Norway will last for three days, on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, writes VG, who first mentioned the case.

– Not identity

– We are very concerned about the serious situation in Afghanistan. This is a full-scale humanitarian disaster for millions of people. To help civilians in Afghanistan, the international community, as well as Afghans from various sections of society, must have a dialogue with the Taliban. “We want to clarify our expectations of the Taliban, especially in terms of girls’ schools and human rights such as women’s participation in society,” Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in a press release.

Huitfeldt stressed that the visit “is neither legitimacy nor recognition of the Taliban.”

– But we have to talk to those who in practice rule the country today. “We cannot allow the political situation to lead to a worse humanitarian catastrophe,” said Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.

The press release stated that “Norway continues to dialogue with the Taliban to promote human rights, women’s participation in society, and to strengthen humanitarian and economic efforts in Afghanistan to support the Afghan people.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that one of the characteristics of Norway’s peace and reconciliation work is the willingness to talk to all parties.

– Norway has been in dialogue with the Taliban for years, writes the Foreign Ministry.

Ambassadors work in secret

Norway’s ambassador to Afghanistan and two other diplomats returned to Kabul on Monday this week for talks with the Taliban.

“It’s important for them to come in and we have a dialogue,” Huitfeldt said at a news conference with Norwegian journalists in New York.

Ambassador Ole A. Lindeman and his diplomatic colleagues returned to the country on a two-day visit to talk with the Taliban earlier this week. The embassy was evacuated in connection with the takeover in August.

The themes of Norwegian diplomats’ talks with the Taliban were, among other things, the humanitarian situation, respect for human rights and the right of women to participate in society, Huitfeldt said at the time.

VG wrote that the ambassador was secretly working to get the Taliban to accept negotiations in Norway.

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Meet representatives from the US

The Taliban also previously participated in secret negotiations in Norway when current Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labour Party) was Foreign Minister in the Stoltenberg government. Also under the Solberg administration, attempts were made to bring the Taliban to Norway for negotiations.

Attempts were then made to carry out negotiations between the Taliban and the then Afghan government in Oslo. Two years later, the Western-backed government in Kabul collapsed as the Taliban advanced on all fronts and captured Kabul.

VG wrote that the single most important issue in the negotiations in Norway this time was the major humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

There will also be meetings between the Taliban and the activists, flown in from Afghanistan and the countries where they have been exiled.

In addition, according to VG, the Taliban will meet with special representatives for Afghanistan from Norway, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, the European Union and the United States.