"The two sides discussed ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people," the release said on Thursday. "The United States underscored the need to accelerate the work on these efforts."
The talks between a delegation led by US Special Representative Thomas West and senior Taliban representatives took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on January 27, the release added.
In February, US President Joe Biden froze $7 billion of Afghanistan's sovereign assets kept in US institutions. The plan was to use half of the funds to provide humanitarian aid to Afghans, while the other half would be kept in the US to compensate 9/11 victims' families.
War crimes lawyer Francis Boyle told Sputnik the decision violated international law while nearly 50 lawmakers from Biden's own party in a letter said US "punitive economic policies" will hurt innocent Afghans who have already suffered decades of war and poverty.
*A terrorist organization banned in Russia