KABUL (TCA) — The sixth round of peace talks between the US negotiators and Taliban members ended in Qatari capital, Doha, on May 9, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported citing a Taliban statement.
According to the statement, both sides discussed issues they agreed in draft in their fifth round of talks and that developments were made on some of them, not all the issues.
The key issues under debate were foreign forces withdrawal, ceasefire, counterterrorism assurances and intra-Afghan dialogue.
The two sides agreed in draft on counterterrorism assurances and foreign forces withdrawal from Afghanistan in the fifth round of the talks in mid-March.
Taliban said the sixth round of the talks was “constructive and productive”.
“The sixth round of talks, in total, was positive and both sides patiently heard each other’s views,” the statement reads.
The statement said both sides will discuss the issues on which developments have been made and also on the issues no progress was made and then will start another round of talks.
In other news, Acting Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Salahuddin Rabbani said the legal system of Afghanistan has defined certain limits for engaging into peace talks and national reconciliation process, suggesting caution when it comes to the negotiations with the Taliban who refuse to stop violence and engage in intra-Afghan dialogue, TOLOnews reported.
“The legal system of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan which is based on the Islamic principles and human rights values has defined certain limits for achieving peace and moving towards national reconciliation. Respect and protection of the principles of human rights are making the fundamental part of these limits and they are not negotiable. Therefore, in order to settle down decades of conflicts in Afghanistan, there is a need to respect the fundamental rights of all citizens, ensure public welfare development, ensure social justice and maintain the rule of law. All these principles are making our fundamental conditions in the peace talks,” Rabbani said at the second Afghanistan-EU Special Working Group meeting on Human Rights, Good Governance and Migration in Kabul on May 9.
“For settling down decades of conflict in Afghanistan, there is a need to respect the fundamental rights of all citizens, honor social justice and implement rule of in the peace process,” said Rabbani.
