Oslo Freedom Forum Begins in Norway

The three-day Oslo Freedom Forum began with the participation of representatives and civil activists of different countries, including prominent Afghan figures and a delegation of Taliban, in Norway.

Following protests to the previous meeting in Oslo in 2022, Norway did not invite senior Taliban leaders to the current meeting.

Participants will discuss, freedom, democracy, digital security, artificial intelligence, Bitcoin, and other acute world issues.

Francis Fukuyama, an American political scientist, and Masih Alinejad, an Iranian human rights activist, are also among the participants of this meeting.

Some of the Afghan intellectuals and politicians such as Jafar Mahdawi, leader of Hizb-e-Millat Afghanistan, are also participating in this meeting.

A source told Afghanistan International that Abdul Qahar Balkhi, Taliban’s foreign ministry spokesperson; Rohullah Omar, head of communication of the group’s defence ministry; Shamsuddin Akhundzada, advisor of the Taliban’s interior ministry; and Shams Rahman, translator of the interior ministry, participated in the Oslo meeting representing the Taliban.

Sources said that the Taliban members will meet with Norway’s foreign ministry officials separately.

Earlier, Mina Rafiq, Afghan women rights activist, protested against the presence of Taliban officials in the Oslo meeting, in front of Norway’s foreign ministry.

Norway previously hosted Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Taliban, and Anas Haqqani a senior member of the group, which faced many reactions from the civil activists and protests in Oslo.

Earlier, the Pakistani media reported the possibility of Hina Rabbani, the minister of state for foreign affairs in Pakistan, and Asif Ali Durrani, the country's special representative for Afghanistan, attending the Oslo meeting.

The Oslo Freedom Forum will continue until June 15.