US-Taliban-Qatar meeting talks Afghan peace

KABUL (Pajhwok): A trilateral meeting in Qatar has discussed the ongoing peace process aimed at ending the decades old conflict in Afghanistan.

The three sided meeting involving Qatari foreign minister, the US special envoy for Afghan reconciliation and Taliban’s deputy leader discussed recent developments in the peace process.

Qatar News Agency, a state-run news outlet of Qatar, on Monday reported that the trilateral meeting was held in Doha on Sunday evening.

Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban’s deputy leader Abdul Ghani Bradar attended the meeting, the source said.

The report said the three sides discussed the Afghan conflict, political and security situation and intra-Afghan negotiations.

The meeting discussed recent developments in ongoing peace talks, the source added.

According to another report, Mullah Abdul Ghani Bradar also had an exclusive meeting with Qatari foreign minister.

The source said that the two sides stressed the role of Qatar in achieving reconciliation among all Afghan parties to realise the aspirations of the Afghan people for stability and peace.

Dr. Mohammad Naeem, Taliban spokesman for Qatar office, in a tweet said, Bradar, the Taliban’s chief negotiator, Mualvi Abdul Hakeem Haqqani, Qatar’s foreign minister and Khalilzad attended a joint meeting on Sunday evening.

He said that the meeting discussed implementation of the US-Taliban agreement, current situation of Afghanistan and intra-Afghan negotiations.

Earlier in the month, the US proposed replacing the current government in Kabul with an inclusive interim administration until a new constitution was agreed and elections held.

Amid intensified efforts for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, Russia and Turkey plan to organise international conferences on Afghanistan.

mds/ma