KABUL (TCA) — Direct talks between the Afghan government and authorized representatives of the Taliban may take place in early March, TOLOnews reported.
The fourth meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) between Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China on the Afghan peace and reconciliation process was held in Kabul on February 23 and it decided that direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban would be held in early March in Pakistan.
According to the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegations at the meeting were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing, and U.S. Charge d’Affaires, David Lindwall.
The QCG member states have invited all Taliban and other groups to participate through their authorized representatives in the first round of direct peace talks with the Afghan government, the ministry said.
The Taliban group representatives based in Qatar insist on preconditions of the group as direct talks between the Afghan government and representatives of the Taliban are expected to take place in the first week of March, KHAAMA PRESS reported on February 24.
A spokesman for the Taliban group’s political office in Qatar, Mohammad Naim told Radio Free Europe (RFE) that they have not changed their preconditions for joining the peace process, which he had announced at the Pugwash research center in Doha on January 23.
The precondition of the Taliban including complete withdrawal of the foreign forces from Afghanistan, official recognition of Taliban’s political office in Qatar, removal of Taliban from United Nations terrorist blacklist, halt to the arrest and elimination of Taiban, and release of the Taliban inmates from prisons.
