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Taliban begin talks with western officials in Oslo

Taliban delegates, led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi are in the Norwegian capital Oslo for three days of talks with Western diplomats.

The Taliban delegation will meet diplomats who are expected to press for a more inclusive Taliban government, one that is prepared to sign up to respecting human rights.

These meetings are the first in Europe since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last August. Since then, international aid for the country has largely dried up and now the United Nations says famine threatens more than 95 percent of the population.

However there is much criticism amongst Norwegians who have had to cover the cost of the delegations travel, says Afshin Ismaeli, a journalist with Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation, Aftenposten.

(Picture: Representatives of the Taliban arrive in Norway to have talks with Western representatives about human rights and emergency aid, in Gardermoen, Norway. Credit: Terje Bendiksby via REUTERS)

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