This is the Taliban summit’s message to the Norwegian authorities before the historic meeting
Before the Taliban took off from the airport in Kabul, the foreign minister came with clear expectations for the meeting with Norway and other western countries.
The plane took off from Kabul on Saturday afternoon Norwegian time and has according to NRK with him among others Anas Haqqani. Haqqani was until recently blacklisted by the United States for ties to terrorist activities and is the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani who is the leader of the Haqqani network.
In a sound clip publish on Twitter says the Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi that after several good talks with the Norwegian authorities, he has been challenged to the Kingdom of Norway. Here, topics will be discussed which, among other things, are about emergency aid to those in need in Afghanistan, she wants to solve the problem.
Furthermore, he comes with a message that he also has a goal that Norway and other nations should recognize the Islamic Emirate Afghanistan as a new state, after the takeover. The sound clip is on pashtu. I add the rest of the negotiating team, which is to meet in Oslo, also on board the private plane.
The planned talks between the Taliban and Western representatives on human rights and emergency aid start on Sunday in Oslo. The Taliban’s first official meetings with the West in Oslo will help turn the war atmosphere into a peace situation, says Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
“The Islamic Emirate has taken steps to meet the demands of the Western world, and through diplomacy to strengthen our relations with all countries, including European countries and the West in general,” Mujahid told the AFP news agency.
This is the plan
According to Nettavisen’s experience, the plan earlier this week was for the Taliban delegation to stopover in Copenhagen on its way to Norway. Then they were to fly on to Oslo Airport.
At half past six on Saturday night, it seems that the plans for a stopover in Copenhagen have changed.
Just after seven o’clock on Saturday night, the plane approaches Norwegian airspace and seems to be heading steadily towards Oslo Airport.
At approximately 19.09 on Saturday evening, the aircraft entered Norwegian airspace.
Here they land once a night until Sunday Norwegian time. For security reasons, the plane with the Taliban top will land at a time when the airport has no other departures or arrivals.
After the plane has landed, the delegation will be transported to the remote parking lot at the airport where they will be escorted in a police escort for the stay in Oslo. If for some reason it is not possible to drive the delegation safely to the place of residence, helicopters are ready to assist with transport. Where they will stay while they are in Norway is not known in advance, but the actual conversation will take place at Hotell Soria Moria in Oslo.
Security considerations mean that the Taliban plans can be changed, for example if there are bomb threats or other security challenges arise, Nettavisen is informed.
Change the war atmosphere
The Taliban’s first official meetings with the West in Oslo will help change the war atmosphere to a peaceful situation, says Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
“The Islamic Emirate has taken steps to meet the demands of the Western world, and through diplomacy to strengthen our relations with all countries, including European countries and the West in general,” Mujahid told the AFP news agency.
In the interview in Kabul, he says that the Taliban wants “to turn the war atmosphere into a peaceful situation”.
No country has yet officially recognized the Taliban regime, which was notorious for gross human rights violations when the latter took power in Afghanistan.
The planned talks between the Taliban and Western representatives on human rights and emergency aid will take place in Oslo from Sunday.
Not an identification
Afghanistan is facing a huge humanitarian catastrophe and the future of women is threatened. That is why we are talking directly to the Taliban, writes Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) in one chronicle Saturday.
“These meetings do not involve the legitimacy or recognition of the Taliban,” she said in another statement on Friday, explaining that the political situation in the country could not be allowed to lead to an even worse humanitarian catastrophe.
In the article, Huitfeldt writes that there is now a real danger that Afghan society will collapse completely, with enormous consequences for the population in the country. Therefore, it is urgent to get out vital help.
No women
The delegation, which consists of 15 men and is led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, will travel from Kabul on Saturday and fly as Norwegian authorities sent to pick them up, according to a Taliban spokesman.
In Oslo, they will meet representatives of Norway and several other countries, including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy.
The delegation is also expected to meet with Afghan civilians, including women leaders and journalists.
For American specialty broadcasters
Leading the delegation from the US Treasury Department and the US State Aid Organization USAID is Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West as well as Special Envoy of Rana Amiri for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights.
A spokesman for the US State Department told NTB on Saturday that the United States was grateful that the Norwegian government should work to organize talks between the Afghan Taliban regime and several European countries and the United States.
– Together with our European colleagues, we intend to address a range of themes, including a representative political system, a plan to address the acute humanitarian and economic crisis in the country, issues of security and counter-terrorism, and human rights – special education for girls and women, the spokesman said.
Condemns Norway
Ali Maisam Nazary, foreign head of the National Resistance Front who calls himself the last remaining bastion against the Taliban in Afghanistan, condemns Norway for arranging the meeting with the Taliban.
“We must all have the voice and prevent all countries from normalizing a terrorist group as representatives of Afghanistan,” he tweeted on Friday.
The background for the conversation is, among other things, that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is going from bad to being taken over by the Taliban in August. 23 million Afghans are threatened with starvation, and the UN says it needs $ 5 billion in international aid to deal with the crisis in the country.