Robert Chatterton Dickson, the chargé d'affaires of the British embassy in Afghanistan has said that there are many potential areas for cooperation with the Taliban, but it is conditional on the Taliban's positive actions in the field of human rights.
Dickson called on the Taliban to fulfill their international obligations in the field of human rights.
The chargé d'affaires of the British Embassy in Afghanistan met with Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister, during a visit to Kabul. A statement from the embassy said that Dickson spoke with Stanekzai about the next round of the Doha summit, which will be held by the United Nations.
The chargé d'affaires of the British embassy has expressed his country's support for the UN's independent assessment of Afghanistan, calling it the best way to integrate Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban into the international system.
Dickson said that if the Taliban adheres to human rights requirements, there are many areas for interaction and cooperation with the group. "There are many potential areas for cooperation, but the UK should see positive movement by the Taliban in maintaining its international human rights obligations," the chargé d'affaires of the British embassy added.
One of the major human rights violations of the Taliban is the imposition of severe restrictions that the group imposes on Afghan women. In a statement issued after his meeting with Stanekzai, the British embassy chargé d'affaires said that the UK is deeply concerned about the closure of medical institutes to educate Afghan women and girls.
Referring to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Dickson said that the new restriction has been imposed while Afghanistan ranks ninth in the world in women mortality due to pregnancy and childbirth.
"This will threaten the lives and health of countless women and girls who are deprived of vital medical care, as well as their children," she added.
In addition to a number of Taliban ministers, Dickson also held talks with Afghan women, officials of non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and foreign political representatives, according to a statement from the British embassy.
The Chargé d'Affaires of the British Embassy stressed on the importance of NGOs to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
According to the statement, Afghanistan is one of the largest recipients of UK aid, with the country providing more than 14 billion AFN (£161 million) in aid to Afghanistan.
