 At the inauguration ceremony of the meeting held in Qatar, the spokesperson of Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, urged that the West must look beyond religious and cultural differences. He also asked for removal of economic sanctions and cited the regime's growing ties with Russia and China. The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Its policies deeply restrict the rights of women and girls. For NPR News, I'm Omkar Khandekar in Mumbai.