· Taliban representatives
met with Indian and Pakistani special envoys and officials amongst a number of
international diplomats, in an effort by the Norwegian Government to break the
impasse in talks on the sidelines of a peace conference in Oslo.
· The talks, which came in
for criticism from Afghan diaspora groups, including in Norway, for
“legitimising” the insurgent group that took control of Kabul in August
2021, are the first time India and Pakistan were invited to a European country for
the talks, although they have been part of similar efforts at the Moscow format hosted by Russia, and in Doha
hosted by Qatar.
· Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis with acute food shortages, and continuing human rights
violations including denial of education and employment to females by the
Taliban.
· Despite the challenges, New Delhi reopened its mission in Kabul in
June 2022 and maintains a “technical team” there to oversee aid and
development initiatives.
· India’s latest shipment
of 20,000 tonnes of wheat that is arriving via the Chabahar port in Iran this
week were among issues discussed.
· While there, the Taliban
officials held closed-door talks with special envoys from the U.S., the U.K.,
Norway, Qatar, India, Pakistan, and the head of the UN Afghanistan Mission
(UNAMA) RozaOtunbayeva, as well as with members of Afghan civil society,
including a woman negotiator and a leading lawyer. They spoke at a session at
the Forum where many angry questions over the decision to stop girls’ education
were raised by participants.
· Afghan activists based
in Norway tried to enter the venue of the talks, and held a protest against the
meet in Oslo, accusing officials of “talking to terrorists” and legitimising a
regime that no country at present has granted official recognition to.