Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The Afghan Taliban are prepared to open an "office outside the country for talks with foreigners," a purported spokesman for the movement said in a statement released Tuesday. The statement could signal the Taliban's public willingness to talk to the United States for the first time. Calling himself "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan spokesman," Zabiullah Mujaheed said the Taliban have a "preliminary agreement with Qatar and other respective sides." The Taliban are asking for the release of prisoners from the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for opening the office, he said. He said the group is also "ready for talks and negotiation inside the country."
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NEW: Nuland: "We are prepared to support a process that the Afghans support"
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The Taliban have a preliminary deal to open an office in Qatar, a statement says
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They want detainees freed from Guantanamo Bay as a condition for talks
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It appears to be their first public offer of talks without a U.S. withdrawal
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