Washington: The United States has ruled out immediate recognition of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, saying it will talk to the Taliban when it is in its interest.
In a news briefing, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Pakistan had expressed the international community's concerns about Afghanistan and wanted to protect the benefits of the past 20 years, Dawn reported.
Asked how the Biden administration intended to contact the Taliban, he said there was a difference between recognition, legal status and practical contact.
"Certainly you have heard from us and other governments that we will negotiate with the Taliban on the basis of national interests," Ned Price said.
He added that at the ministerial meeting, "we heard similar sentiments from other countries."
Commenting on Pakistan's role in Afghanistan, he said that Islamabad had stated its position on Afghanistan at a recent ministerial meeting co-hosted by the United States and Germany.
"Pakistan was engaged in a ministerial meeting and we heard similar sentiments from Pakistanis that we had heard from other countries," Ned Price said.
"There is a broad consensus among our Pakistani partners that the benefits of the last 20 years should not be wasted," he said.
"Participants, especially Afghanistan's neighbors, agreed to do everything possible to prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan," he said.
"And this is especially felt by countries bordering Afghanistan," said Ned Price. "The effects of humanity could be severe for those countries in the region."
That's why the United States is reviewing its bilateral assistance to the Afghan government and providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, he said.
"This is a lasting commitment that not only the United States but other countries in the region have felt," he said.
