Taliban foreign minister seeks to normalize ties with U.S.

KABUL - Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a recent exclusive interview with Kyodo News that his interim government is "seeking to normalize relations" with the United States, five years after U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In the interview on Wednesday, Muttaqi urged Washington to shift away from confrontation, saying the two sides can engage "based on mutual respect and common interests." Successive U.S. administrations have warned that Afghanistan could again become a terrorism hub.