The Taliban has said it discussed normalising relations between Afghanistan and the United States in a meeting with Trump administration officials that mainly focused on a prisoner swap.

The Taliban statement said its foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Trump's special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler, and its special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad. The Taliban released photographs from their talks.

"Comprehensive discussions were held on ways to develop bilateral relations between the two countries, issues related to citizens, and investment opportunities in Afghanistan," the statement said. It did not say where or precisely when the meeting was held.

The statement added that the US delegation also expressed condolences over the devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan late last month.

Prisoner swap

Both sides agreed to maintain communication on key issues, particularly the detainees held in the US and Afghanistan.

"Adam Boehler, referring to the issue of detained citizens between Afghanistan and the United States, said that both countries will exchange prisoners," Afghanistan's deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar's office said after their meeting.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stopped short of confirming an exchange would take place, saying Boehler had gone to Kabul to "explore what's possible".

"Our special envoy for people unlawfully detained has been having conversations for a while", Rubio told reporters as he headed to the Middle East.

"Obviously, it'll be the president's decision in terms of any trades or any exchanges, but we most certainly want any Americans or anyone who's being unlawfully detained to be released. And so he went there to explore what that would look like."