[ad_1]
"We hope the negotiations can help open a new chapter in Afghan history," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the opening of the peace talks. The Russian authorities are hosting the meeting.
The plan is for the parties to discuss how to begin peace talks to end the 17-year war.
Lavror said participation of both Afghan and Taliban leaders is an important condition for engaging in meaningful direct conversations between the parties.
"I expect from you serious and constructive discussions that will justify the hope of the Afghan people," Lavrov said before the peace talks went on behind closed doors.
Taliban send five representatives
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Majahid has previously confirmed to AFP that the rebel group sent five representatives to Moscow.
"This conference is not about negotiating with a particular party, but about holding in-depth discussions on how to find a peaceful solution to the Afghan dilemma and end the US occupation," said Mujahid.
This is the first time that the Taliban are taking part in talks at such a high international level, said spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Taliban are not allowed to operate in Russia, this movement being classified as a terrorist organization.
Previously postponed
The Afghan delegation is made up of four representatives of the Afghan High Peace Council, a commission for reconciliation with militants in Afghanistan, said spokesman Sayed Ihsan Taheri.
However, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the representatives did not represent the Afghan government. The Taliban have refused to hold direct talks with the government, which they say is a sign of the United States.
Representatives of the United States, India, Iran, China and five former Soviet republics of Central Asia are also invited to the Moscow meeting. The United States Embassy in Russia sent representatives to follow the debate. Pakistan, which has long been accused of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan, will participate "too" in, "said UD spokesman Muhammad Faisal.
The peace talks are expected to take place in September, but were postponed after Kabul insisted that the debate be led by Afghanistan.
Sir control
The peace talks are coming at a sensitive moment.
The US Special Investigator for Afghanistan (SIGAR) said last week that the Afghan government is losing more and more control over the country.
Afghan security and police forces have suffered record losses in recent months and have made little progress in fighting the Taliban.
Last Friday, new messages were broadcast about Taliban attacks on soldiers and police. Ten soldiers and seven policemen were killed during an attack on a military post in Khawja Ghar district, Takhar province.
(© NTB)
[ad_2]
Source link
