Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Canadian officials meet with Taliban representatives in Qatar

Share
OTTAWA -

As the economic situation continues to deteriorate in Afghanistan, diplomats from Canada and other western countries met with Taliban officials in Qatar Thursday to discuss humanitarian aid for the war-torn country.

The Canadian government is prepared to give aid to the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to help the people of Afghanistan, but in an interview airing Sunday morning on CTV’s Question Period, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the government will not give aid or money directly to the Taliban.

“I can't imagine that we would send aid to the Afghan people via the Taliban, … if there are ways multilaterally with other partners that we can support the Afghan people,†said LeBlanc.   

According to a senior government source, allowing Afghans who worked for the Canadian military to leave the country was also discussed at the meeting.

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen tweeted photos from the meeting, showing Western diplomats from many countries, including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada, in attendance.  

“The participants reiterated their commitments to continue humanitarian aids to Afghanistan. I told them (the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) is a reality and we are ready to engage with the International Community and resolve issues through talks and understanding based on mutual interests and positive interaction,â€

Â鶹´«Ã½ has identified one of the Canadian representatives at the meeting as David William Sproule, Ottawa's special envoy to Afghanistan, who previously served as Canada’s ambassador to Afghanistan from Oct. 6, 2005, until April 17, 2007.

This is not the first meeting Sproule has had with the Taliban since they took control of Afghanistan. According to the Globe and Mail, Sproule spoke with top-raking Taliban officials on Aug. 30 about issues related to the Kabul Airport.

LeBlanc says he think it’s “responsible†for Canada to be participating in conversations with allies and the Taliban about humanitarian aid but that those conversations do not help legitimize the Taliban.

“It in no way the signals that our government has any intention of recognizing the Taliban as a legitimate government in Afghanistan, they remain under Canadian law, a listed terrorist organization, and that will certainly remain,†said LeBlanc.

With files from CTV Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier and Â鶹´«Ã½â€™ Sarah Turnbull

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

opinion

opinion How to create a budget that works for you

Are you struggling to create a budget that fits your life and schedule? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some simple budgeting methods and offer some tips to help you create, and follow, a budget plan.

Manitoba RCMP and community members are still feverishly searching for a six-year-old boy who went missing five days ago.

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected