The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that Norway is planning to send a delegation to Afghanistan in the near future to evaluate the state of its relationship with the Taliban administration.
The announcement came in a statement following a meeting between Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, and Per Albert Ilsaas, Norway’s chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan. The Norwegian government has not publicly confirmed the visit.
According to the Taliban statement, the discussions also touched on regional concerns, with the Norwegian envoy reportedly expressing apprehension over the potential fallout of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran on Afghanistan.
The ministry said the meeting focused on “bilateral relations and regional issues.” Muttaqi was quoted as describing Norway’s decision to accept a Taliban-appointed diplomat as a “positive step toward building trust and strengthening relations.”
Norway is one of the few Western countries maintaining open lines of communication with the Taliban, though it has not formally recognized their administration since they returned to power in 2021.
