"While in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I met with Afghan political leaders including @KarzaiH and several colleagues. Heard them echo plea of Afghan people for Taliban to respect rights of women and girls and initiate national dialogue on future of country," West tweeted on Wednesday.
The difficult economic situation in Afghanistan was also on the agenda, with the US envoy focusing on the issue of banking transactions and its implications for the Afghan people.
"Banking transactions remain a challenge that requires improvements in the Taliban's financial and monetary policies and personnel. Must continue to discuss for benefit of Afghan people. Some banks have improved access," the diplomat wrote on Twitter.
Since the Taliban takeover, the US has imposed restrictions on Afghanistan including its banking sector, freezing $7 billion of Afghan central bank assets held in US banks. Washington has also enforced sanctions targeting some Taliban members and entities, while leaving many foreign banks and companies unwilling to deal with the country due to sanction risks.
Although the US administration intended to allocate $3.5 billion of frozen Afghan assets in humanitarian aid for the Afghan people, the country has still been facing a difficult situation, with local commercial banks and businesses not having enough liquidity to pay for imports.
The Taliban came to power in August 2021, toppling the US-backed government as foreign troops were leaving the country, with the political crisis exacerbating the economic disarray and food shortages that have pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis.
*The Taliban movement is under UN sanctions for terrorism