Taliban ready to resume dialogue with US

KABUL delegation visited Russian on Friday to discuss the situation emerging after the cancelation of peace talks with the United States.

Russia’s state news agency Tass quoted Taliban’s Qatar-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as saying the delegation held consultations with Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for Afghanistan.

The visit was confirmed by a Taliban official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to reporters.

The Interfax news agency cited an unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying the meeting in Moscow underlined the necessity of resuming talks between the US and Taliban. The Taliban reaffirmed their readiness to continue dialogue with Washington.

It was the Taliban’s first international visit following the collapse of talks with Washington. The team was led by Mullah Sher Mohammad Stanikzai.

Shaheen told the Taliban’s official website on Tuesday the group was still communicating with US negotiators, at least to find out what to do next.

The Taliban leadership council opposed the negotiators going to Camp David and admonished those who had accepted US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s invitation that was extended at the end of August.

Shaheen said the Camp David visit was delayed, as the Taliban wanted an agreement to be signed and witnessed by foreign ministers of several countries, including Russia.

He added the Taliban also wanted Qatar to announce the agreement before the Camp David meeting.

Moscow has been accused of aiding the Taliban as a safeguard against a burgeoning Islamic State affiliate that has close ties to the Islamic Movement of Afghanistan.

Recent developments around the peace process were in focus at the meeting between Kabulov and the visiting Taliban delegation.

"The delegation is here in Moscow. We have already met Z. Kabulov to discuss with him the recent developments regarding the peace process in Afghanistan," Shaheen told TASS.

The Taliban delegation is said to be pondering over a possible trip to China, but a final decision on the visit has not been taken yet.

Moscow hosted two rounds of talks in 2019 between Taliban negotiators and prominent Afghan personalities.

nh/mud