Qatar to host 1st round of intra-Afghan talks

KABUL in Qatar, says the High Council for National Reconciliation chairman.

The intra-Afghan dialogue was expected to commence soon, Dr. Abdullah told a group of experts at a “Track-2” dialogue, organised by the Heart of Asia Society (HAS) here.

US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met Taliban delegates in Doha on finalizing details before the launch of intra-Afghan negotiations, said the former CEO.

Meanwhile, The Hindu reported Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar had suggested a revamp of multilateral talks involving Kabul to avoid “exclusivist” arrangements.

Prisoner releases, a reduction in violence and talks on making the Eid ceasefire more permanent are among the issues being discussed in the build-up to the talks, according to Abdullah.

He added: “While there is an understanding on the start of intra-afghan negotiations, we do need to speak more about the cessation of violence.”

Abdullah said he had discussed issues in the peace process with President Ashraf Ghani. “We are all on the same page as far as the release of prisoners is considered.”

The audience included scholars and diplomats from Afghanistan, the UK and the United States.

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