Quadrilateral talks kick off in Afghanistan
A second round of four-nation talks has started in the Afghan capital, Kabul, with representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States coming together to lay out the ground for peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
The participants met on Monday to discuss a road-map Kabul had presented in the previous meeting, held in Islamabad last week, according to an Afghan official.
The ultimate purpose of the talks is to engage the Afghan government and the Taliban in direct negotiations on the country’s future. The Taliban have yet to agree to take part in the negotiations. They have accused the US of violating its commitment to withdraw military forces from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.
“Now the invaders have once again started fighting contrary to their previous promises,” the Taliban said in a statement. “These activities of invaders have shaken the miserable Afghan nation because from one side there are hues and cries regarding deceitful peace and on the other hand the invaders have started a new war here.”
Afghanistan’s chief negotiator Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai said last week that the second round of the talks would focus on creating a peace plan to persuade the Taliban to give up violence. He said, “The Taliban are making gains and the army is on the defensive. Until there is a stalemate, the talks are unlikely to succeed.”
In recent months, Taliban militants have intensified their campaign in several parts of the country, including bombings, in the southern border province of Helmand.
On Sunday, a rocket hit an area near the Italian Embassy in Kabul. At least two security guards were injured. They are, however, said to be in stable conditions.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is likely to have been carried out by the Taliban.
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