Mainichi wrote that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Okada met with Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of the Taliban’s interim government in Doha on Wednesday. This was the first time for a GOJ official to be in direct contact with a cabinet minister of the Taliban government. The ministry said that Okada urged the Taliban official to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and local employees at the Japanese Embassy and other Japanese organizations in Afghanistan and allow them to leave the country at an early date. The ambassador also called on the Taliban official to protect the human rights of women and ethnic minorities and to secure safe routes for Japan to provide humanitarian aid to Afghans. The ministry declined to disclose what Muttaqi said during the meeting.