Taliban representatives met with US officials Monday amid moves to press for a negotiated end to the Afghan war, reports said.
The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, led the US team in the talks that included envoys from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan as well as the host country, Taliban and Pakistani officials said as quoted by VOA.
Quoted by VOA, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group’s representatives spoke only to the US team and had no plans to speak with anyone from Afghanistan’s National Unity Government. Taliban officials said reports to the contrary were “propaganda.”
Meanwhile, Taliban in a statement confirmed meeting held between high-ranking officials of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, UAE and Taliban in Abu Dhabi and said it will continue on Tuesday.
“Yesterday the delegation of Islamic Emirate held extensive rounds of meetings with the high-ranking officials of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi. Talks revolved around withdrawal of occupation forces from Afghanistan, ending the oppression being carried out by the United States and its allies and views were exchanged with the mentioned countries about peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan,” the statement said.
“Moreover, preliminary talks were held with the said countries along with the State Department’s Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad at the end of the day. And meetings in this negotiations process shall continue today,” it said.
The Afghan government said that the Afghan negotiating team led by chief negotiator Abdul Salam Rahimi has arrived in Abu Dhabi to begin proximity dialogue with the Taliban delegation and to prepare for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides.
The head of the Afghan negotiating team, Abdul Salam Rahimi, met with the US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and will meet the UAE and Saudi Arabia teams this week, Presidential Palace said in a statement.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan is committed to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan along with int’l community and other stakeholders. In a tweet, he said they hope the UAE talks will help end bloodshed in Afghanistan and bring peace to the region.
When asked about the talks, a State Department spokesperson told VOA Monday that the meetings are part of US efforts to promote an intra-Afghan dialogue toward ending the conflict.
“We welcome any actions the Pakistani government takes to advance security, stability and cooperation in South Asia, including the fostering of negotiations between the Taliban, the Afghan government and other Afghans, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said a recent letter from US President Donald Trump to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan “emphasized that Pakistan’s assistance with the Afghan peace process is fundamental to building an enduring US-Pakistan partnership.”
Trump administration officials have hardened the US position on Pakistan in recent months, suspending hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for what the officials say is Islamabad’s unwillingness to act decisively against the Taliban.
