Taliban reservations delay Afghan talks in China

KABUL’s reservations about the composition of the Kabul-announced delegation, says a Russian diplomat.

President Vladimir’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Monday the date for the meeting was yet to be coordinated because of Taliban’s dissatisfaction with the composition of Kabul’s delegation.

“It is a question for the Chinese. They’ve stalled everything. [The date] has not been determined yet,” Kabulov was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.

The Taliban are not satisfied with the composition of the delegation that President Ashraf Ghani has suggested. “That is why everything has been frozen.”

In October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said China would offer comprehensive support for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan and contribute to dialogue between all the participants in the peace process.

PAN Monitor/mud