A U.S. delegation led by Adam Boehler, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, met on Saturday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, to discuss the fate of prisoners held in both countries and broader bilateral relations, according to a statement from the Taliban Foreign Ministry.
The delegation includes Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace, who has maintained a visible role in backchannel contacts since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Taliban said the talks centered on citizens detained in Afghanistan and the United States, framing progress on these cases as an “opportunity to normalize bilateral relations.” Muttaqi, pointing to earlier discussions in Doha, called the current moment “a suitable opportunity to resolve complex issues in relations between the two countries,” according to the statement.
Boehler, in turn, reportedly emphasized the need to build on earlier meetings in Kabul and to work toward “tangible results.” He also told Taliban officials that Washington “respects the freedom of choice of nations and does not intend to impose decisions on Afghans,” the ministry said.
Taliban said the discussions also touched on economic cooperation and investment, with both sides agreeing to continue talks.
It was the second visit to Kabul by a U.S. delegation since the Taliban retook power in August 2021. Five months ago, Khalilzad traveled to the Afghan capital with American officials to discuss prisoner releases, after which Washington confirmed the Taliban freed an American engineer, George Glazman of Atlanta. Glazman, who had been detained by Taliban intelligence in December 2022, was the third American released this year.
Some U.S. officials believe that Mahmoud Shah Habibi, a former Afghan aviation chief, remains in Taliban custody, though Taliban leaders have consistently denied holding him.
