Washington (Kavian Press) – Afghan government delegation and the Taliban will meet on Saturday in Qatar to start the long awaited intra-Afghan peace talks.
Afghan delegation led by Abdullah Abdullah the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation is expected to arrive to Doha on Friday.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement, “The State of Qatar is pleased to announce that the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations will commence in Doha on Saturday the 12th of September 2020,”
Taliban spokesman confirmed the talks and said talks “intends to advance the negotiation process in an appropriate manner and bring about comprehensive peace and a pure Islamic system in the framework of our Islamic values and higher national interests”.
Afghan government has always insisted on a permanent ceasefire as a precondition to start the talks and ceasefire is expected to be at the top of the agenda.
The intra-Afghan talks were supposed to take place in March but prisoner exchange between the two parties delayed the process.
Afghan government released 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the Taliban released 1,000 prisoners. Last week the prisoner exchange was completed with only six Taliban prisoners left in Afghan government’s custody over objections from France and Australia accusing those six prisoners of killing their nationals in Afghanistan.
According to the Taliban spokesman, the six prisoners are transferred to Qatar and will be under custody there.
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Doha to take part in the peace talks.
Pompeo welcomed the start of negotiations, and called it “a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed”.
