A special meeting this week in Norway between Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) delegates and special representatives from a number of Western countries focused on the urgency in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and highlighted necessary steps to help alleviate the suffering of Afghans across the country.

Special representatives from the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States met in Oslo with the IEA delegation, led by foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, on Monday.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the participants stated they recognized the steps taken to ease access for humanitarian workers, male and female.

Participants raised the importance of respect for human rights and the strong need for an inclusive and representative political system to ensure stability and a peaceful future for Afghanistan and they urged the IEA to do more to stop human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, media crackdowns, extra-judicial killings, torture and prohibitions on women and girls’ education, employment and freedom to travel without a male escort.

The participants did however welcome the IEA’s public pledges that all women and girls can access schools at all levels (primary, secondary and tertiary) when schools across the country reopen in March but emphasized the need for practical, budgetary and technical preparations to ensure this becomes a reality.

According to the statement, participants “reaffirmed our expectation that the Taliban (IEA) will uphold their commitments on counterterrorism and drug trafficking.

They also said their governments are expanding relief operations, helping prevent the collapse of social services and supporting the revival of Afghanistan’s economy.

“Participants noted the importance of increasing cash liquidity and support to the banking sector in order to help stabilize the Afghan economy. Participants further pressed for the development of a transparent, sound strategy to restore confidence in the financial sector,” the statement read.

The Afghan foreign ministry meanwhile said on Thursday that the Oslo visit had been successful.

“There have been serious and effective talks on humanitarian aid, the lifting of banking restrictions, and the liberalization of the central bank’s assets,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the IEA’s foreign ministry spokesman, in a tweet on Wednesday.

In addition, the IEA’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi discussed the IEA’s plans, achievements, and new policies in the field of legislation with representatives of European countries, especially the United States, a statement read.

According to the statement, representatives of the European Union, the UK, the US, and people from charity foundations welcomed the progress made by the IEA in providing security, rooting out corruption, and training.

Foreign ministry officials have meanwhile also said such meetings help to build trust and generate aid for the country.