A 20-member delegation from Afghanistan is headed to Qatar to hold two days of talks with Taliban representatives aimed at ending Afghanistan’s long war.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry yesterday said that it was hosting reconciliation talks to help try to deliver security, peace and stability to the Afghan people.
A Taliban statement said, eight people would attend talks in Doha on behalf of the insurgents. However, they said the discussions should not be misconstrued as peace or negotiation talks.
Afghan presidential spokesman Ajmal Abidy said members of the country’s High Peace Council would attend the talks in Doha in their personal capacity only. Both sides sought to downplay expectations for the meetings.
Previous efforts to open dialogue with the Taliban had collapsed.