Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
AT News
KABUL: The United States urges President Ashraf Ghani’s government to form a team for holding peace negotiations with Taliban, while Afghan politicians accuse the government of being the main obstacle before appointing the team.
The US Embassy to Kabul, said Monday in a statement that Washington’s special envoy for Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad in his latest meetings with government leaders and politicians, had emphasized on the intra-Afghan talks and appointing of a negotiating team.
Meanwhile the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has said that they were close to finalize peace deal with Taliban, but has urged that the militants needed to take basic steps to reduce violence.
Afghan political figure, Dawood Ali Najafi, said that Ghani’s administration was the main obstacle before negotiating team, saying that while political leaders were working on the team structure, the government tried to hinder their efforts.
Ghani’s spokesman turns down the violence reduction plan, saying that war should completely end.
Khalilzad was in Kabul at the weekend where he shared details of his talks with Taliban negotiators.
“All these meetings urged the intra-Afghan talks and an immediate formation of a negotiating team. The United States is discussing violence reduction and intra-Afghan talks in meeting with Taliban,” the US embassy said in a statement.
“We are close to sign the peace agreement with Taliban. The group needs now to take basic steps in reducing of violence,” Pompeo said during a visit to Uzbekistan.
Taliban have said of intra-Afghan talks after finalizing peace deal with the United States. Germany has showed readiness to host the intra-Afghan talks.
