Kabul: Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation, said he was confident that the much awaited intra-Afghan talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban will begin next week.
At an event held in Kabul on Thursday, Abdullah said that the Afghan government’s negotiating team is fully prepared to participate in the discussions, reports TOLO News.
“I can say with relative confidence that intra-Afghan talks will begin next week. The list of people from the Political Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation has been finalized and will be announced,” he added.
In a survey, the Institute for War and Peace Studies found that more than 86 per cent of the country’s population are satisfied with the current peace process.
“We want to promote a dialogue that will bring peace and the peace-building process out of the Afghan cities and out of the elite community into the rural areas,” said Tamim Asey, the head of The Institute of War and Peace Studies.
Pierre Mayaudon, the European Union’s (EU) Ambassador to Afghanistan, also said he considers the survey important in mobilizing people’s views on the peace process, while reaffirming the bloc’s continued support for the negotiations.
Responding to the development, NATO Senior Civilian Representative Stefano Pontecorvo said in a teet: “I met the Taliban representation in Doha. I reiterated NATO’s support to sustainable peace in Afghanistan which responds to the wishes of the Afghan people.” (IANS)
