German chancellor said negotiations were necessary in order to evacuate Afghans who worked with the German government. Meanwhile, the top Afghan resistance leader said he is "ready to stop fighting" the Taliban.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday she is in favor of opening a political dialogue with the Taliban, the Islamist group which controls most of Afghanistan.
"Regarding the Taliban, the fact is that of course we have to talk to them because they are now the ones who have to be addressed," Merkel said while on a visit to the western German city of Hagen, which was hit with massive flooding earlier this year.
She said the talks were necessary to help evacuate Afghans who were left behind.
"We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organizations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel added.
She said dialogue would allow the flow of humanitarian aid into Afghanistan to continue. The German leader said it was a "good signal" that Kabul international airport was recently reopened for flights.
CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet, who was with Merkel on the trip, has also expressed support for talks with the Taliban
Merkel's comments come after a Taliban spokesperson told the Welt am Sonntag paper on Sunday that the group would like "strong and official diplomatic relations with Germany."
Merkel did not say she supports full diplomatic relations with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said this week that Germany could reopen a diplomatic office in Kabul if the Taliban respect "fundamental human and women's rights," among other conditions.
