US state dept spokesperson: Not surprised by Taliban’s absence at UN-Doha

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, told media outlets that they are not surprised by the Taliban’s refusal to participate in the Doha meeting because “they pursue different goals.”

Miller emphasized that from the US’s perspective, “the Taliban are not the only players in Afghanistan’s future.”

Miller made these remarks on Tuesday in a press briefing, regarding America’s assessment of the absence of Taliban representatives at the Doha meeting and Russia and Iran’s abstention from meeting with representatives of Afghan civil society.

Matthew Miller stated that the goal of the US special representatives’ participation in the Doha meeting was to reiterate the importance of respecting the human rights by the Taliban and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a major center of terrorism.

He added, “We advocate for an inclusive Afghanistan where various groups of Afghan people are represented.”

Miller said, “We are still committed to achieving these goals in Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, the US State Department spokesperson advised these two countries to interact not only with the Taliban but also with representatives of Afghan civil society. According to him, the Taliban are not the only prominent players in Afghanistan.

Special representatives of Russia and Iran refrained from meeting with four representatives of Afghan civil society at the request of the Taliban during the Doha meeting. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said they were invited to this United Nations meeting in Qatar without consultation with the Taliban.

The Taliban didn’t join the UN-Doha meeting on February 18th and 19th because they said the UN didn’t agree to their terms.

Mr. Guterres said in his press conference that accepting the demands of the Taliban’s foreign minister was equivalent to recognizing this group officially. He emphasized that the Taliban will not be recognized without addressing the world’s concerns.

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