As the countdown begins for intra-Afghan negotiations, Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, who landed in Doha with Afghan delegates on Friday evening said he remains hopeful about the results of the talks.
“We are hopeful. All Afghans want peace. It is the demand of all Afghans. We hope that we reach a conclusion,” Abdullah said. “It is not possible to solve Afghanistan’s complicated matters in one or two days. It needs time, but time should not be wasted.”
Abdullah will attend the opening ceremony of the direct peace talks with the Taliban on Saturday. He will also meet with officials in Qatar as he mentioned in a tweet after he landed in Doha.
He is accompanied by Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar, State Minister for Peace Affairs Sayed Saadat Mansoor Naderi, chief negotiator Masoom Stanekzai and the negotiating team members.
Talking to reporters, Atmar said the Taliban had committed to agree on an inclusive ceasefire at the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations.
“The Taliban had committed that their first discussion with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will be the announcement of a ceasefire, an immediate and an inclusive ceasefire,” Atmar said.
He said a ceasefire will be the first topic in the talks.
“Our international partners appreciated the measures taken by the Afghan government and a brave decision made by Afghans at the Loya Jirga (the grand council),” Atmar said, referring to Afghan delegates’ decision to approve the release of 400 high-value Taliban prisoners.
Atmar said there is a consensus in the country, the region, and the world about the Afghan peace process.
“We hope that consensus is also built among the Taliban regarding peace,” said Atmar.
He expressed hope that with the start of the talks, there will be a significant reduction in violence in the country.
Atmar said that 13 nations have shown readiness to host the next round of talks. According to him, he cannot predict how long the talks will continue, but “if intentions are good, the negotiations will not last too long.”
