Kabul
Afghanistan’s western backers have agreed to work with the Kabul government, the Taliban and civil society leaders to reach a sustainable peace agreement in the country, an official statement said on Wednesday.
According to the US State Department statement, special envoys and special representatives of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the UK and the US met in EU Headquarters, Brussels on Tuesday.
It said the participants “acknowledged the widespread and sincere demand of the Afghan people for a lasting peace and an end to the war”. The statement called on all sides to observe a ceasefire for the duration of intra-Afghan negotiations to enable participants to reach agreement on a political roadmap for Afghanistan’s future.
It called on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other prominent Afghan leaders to focus on preparing the government for formal intra-Afghan negotiations with the Taliban, including the naming of an inclusive, national negotiating team.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman said on Wednesday a fresh round of intra-Afghan dialogue is going to be held in China next week. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Anadolu Agency that Deng Xijun, China’s special representative for Afghanistan, met with the Taliban’s political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha, Qatar’s capital, late Tuesday and invited the group to a Beijing conference.
The Taliban have accepted the invitation, and they will send a delegation to attend the conference, Mujahid said. The High Peace Council in Afghanistan has also confirmed participation at the forthcoming peace moot in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal on Wednesday said Pakistan will take part in the upcoming round of a four-party meeting on the Afghan peace process, scheduled to be held in Moscow. — Agencies
