The top diplomat of the Taliban regime, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Washington's special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler, and former US special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad on Saturday, according to the Islamist faction.

"Comprehensive discussions were held on ways to develop bilateral relations between the two countries, issues related to citizens, and investment opportunities in Afghanistan," the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

While the Taliban published photos of Boehler and Khalilzad meeting Muttaqi, the US did not immediately corroborate the Taliban claims. It was also not clear where the meeting took place.

The US does not officially recognize the Taliban government. While multiple nations maintain some level of contact with the Kabul regime, Russia is so far the only country that has full diplomatic ties with the extremist group. 

 

What else did the Taliban say about the talks with US diplomats?

The meeting came after the release of US citizen George Glezmann, who was abducted by the Taliban's intelligence services while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist in December 2022. The Taliban had retaken power in Afghanistan in August 2021, following decades of US and NATO occupation.

He was the third detainee freed by the Taliban since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term in January.

The Taliban statement says talks would continue in the future, "particularly regarding citizens imprisoned in each other's countries."

At least one US citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is believed to be detained in Afghanistan, but the Taliban deny holding him.

Trump has made securing the freedom of US citizens held prisoner overseas a top priority.

The US president signed an executive order this month to designate countries a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" and impose sanctions on countries that illegally detain US citizens.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic