Talks aimed at a final peace settlement in Afghanistan took place in Pakistan, emphasising the need for a dialogue between the government and the Taliban. Yesterday’s meeting in Islamabad, which also included the governments of the US and China, sought to revive the process that collapsed last summer.
According to the joint statement released after the discussions, the meeting emphasised the immediate need for direct talks between representatives of the Afghanistan government and representatives from Taliban groups in a peace process that aims to preserve Afghanistan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Quadrilateral Coordination Group, comprising representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US, is scheduled to meet in Kabul on January 18th to hold discussions on a roadmap.
Meanwhile, a former Taliban senior official said, military confrontation is not the solution and a political solution was needed to end the war in Afghanistan.