Japan envoy holds talks with senior Taliban members in Kabul

Takashi Okada made a three-day visit to Afghanistan from 21-24 Nov for meetings, including with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Takashi Okada, left, with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul, on 24 November 2021 | Twitter/@IeaOffice

Tokyo: Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan held talks with senior members of the Taliban in Kabul, urging the group to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for terrorism, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Takashi Okada made a three-day visit to the country from Nov. 21-24 for meetings, including with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s most public face who led peace talks with the U.S.

Okada also sought to have the Taliban to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and to respect the rights of all Afghan people, including women and minorities, according to the statement.

Japan Ambassador Takashi Okada met with Dep. PM Mullah Baradar today, said the Islamic Emirate's political office spokesperson, Mohammad Naeem. Bilateral relations, the political situation, security, and humanitarian aid were discussed, Naeem said.#TOLOnews pic.twitter.com/0sigTDMxuQ

— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) November 24, 2021

Okada’s visit comes ahead of planned talks between new U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and the Taliban in Doha next week. Japan plans to continue working-level discussions with the Taliban, MOFA said. –Bloomberg