Amid escalating violence in Afghanistan, peace talks underway in Doha
The multilateral meeting on the peace process in Afghanistan convened Tuesday in Qatar’s capital of Doha
By IAR Desk
A three-day meeting between the representatives of the Afghan government, the Taliban, the US, and a number of foreign countries kicked off in Doha, Qatar, amid intensified clashes between the Afghan forces and the militants across Afghanistan.
The Afghan delegation includes Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Syed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, State Minister for Peace Affairs, and Chief Negotiator Masoom Stanekzai.
Special Representatives of the UN, Qatar, US, UK, EU, China, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan are participating in the meeting.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad who is also attending the meeting is expected to push the Taliban to stop their military offensive and engage in peace talks with the Afghan government.
“The increased tempo of Taliban military engagement, resulting in civilian casualties in armed conflict between the sides, and alleged human rights atrocities are of grave concern,” the State Department noted.
“A negotiated peace is the only path to ending the war, and the United States will continue to work with all parties and with regional and international stakeholders to advance a consensus on a political settlement.”
Tuesday’s meeting in Doha saw participating parties calling for a political settlement to achieve enduring peace in the county, Reuters reported.
The talks were held at a time when Taliban announced the capture of the capital of western Afghanistan’s Farah Province, the seventh out of the country’s 34 provincial capitals in less than a week.
According to Reuters, the meeting saw attendees from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, the United Nations, and the European Union.
Representatives of all parties agreed that a political solution through negotiation is the only way out for Afghanistan, and its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected at the same time.
The meeting also called for agreements on fundamental issues reached by all sides in a timely manner to jointly promote peace and stability in Afghanistan, and ultimately achieve a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire and form an inclusive government in the country.
In an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that day, Yue Xiaoyong, special envoy for Afghan affairs with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the Chinese government will continue to play a constructive role in this respect, facilitating negotiations through various channels to promote peaceful settlement of the Afghan issue, Retuers reported.
“We are also working actively with Afghanistan to think about the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan in the future, and China is ready to make its contributions in this regard. In my opinion, the problem continues to develop now. China will make unremitting efforts with the international community, neighboring countries and countries in the region,” said Yue.
China, the United States, Russia and Pakistan will meet in Doha on Wednesday to further exchange views on Afghan issues of shared concern.
