The United States is going to hold first talks with senior Taliban officials since the latter’s takeover of Afghanistan. The talks, to be held on Saturday and Sunday are aimed at easing the evacuations of foreign citizens and at-risk Afghans from Afghanistan, while the US maintains that the talks don’t mean recognition for the Taliban, according to US media reports.

According to an unnamed US official, the focus of talks in Doha, Qatar, would be holding Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders to commitments that they would allow Americans and other foreign nationals to leave Afghanistan, along with Afghans who once worked for the US military or government and other Afghan allies, the Associated Press reported.

State Department spokesman Ned Price informed on Thursday that 105 US citizens and 95 green-card holders had left since the end of August on flights facilitated by the US. The number is unmoved for more than a week.

US veterans and other individuals have helped others leave the country on charter flights, and some Americans and others have gotten out across land borders.

According to the State Department, dozens of American citizens are still seeking to get out of the country along with thousands of green-card holders and Afghans and family members believed eligible for US visas. US officials have cited the difficulty of verifying flight manifests without any American officials on the ground in Afghanistan to help, along with other hold-ups that are hindering their evacuation.

Americans also intend to press the Taliban to observe the rights of women and girls through these talks. The Taliban are reportedly blocking the women and girls in Afghanistan from returning to jobs and classrooms since the takeover. America will push for the rights of Afghans at large, and also for the Taliban to form an inclusive government, the official said.

US officials will also encourage Taliban officials to give humanitarian agencies free access to areas in need amid the economic upheaval following the US departure and Taliban takeover.

The official stressed the session did not imply the US was recognizing the Taliban as legitimate governors of the country.