The Taliban held a meeting with the United States on Monday, in their latest attempt to spread peace talks and bring an end to Afghanistan’s 17-year-long war. The meeting was held in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to news reports, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the meeting was attended by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) representatives and Pakistan.
Spokesperson for the US senate department said the meeting held in Abu Dhabi was a part of an efforts in order to promote an intra-Afghan dialogue aimed to end the conflict in Afghanistan.
Spokesperson said, “We have long said that the war in Afghanistan will only end when Afghans sit together with mutual respect and acceptance to discuss a political roadmap for their future.”
Spokesperson further stated: “Special Representative [Zalmay] Khalilzad has in the past met, and will continue to meet with all interested parties, including the Taliban, to support a negotiated settlement to the conflict.”
Director of a news agency of Afghanistan, Khalil Minawi said the meeting help on Sunday, which was attended by the officials of Pakistan, the US and Afghanistan, was planned before “the Pakistani-sponsored US-Taliban meeting”.
As the presence of Afghanistan officials were unexpected on Monday’s meeting, their presence in meeting in UAE showed their significant steps in order to get both the two sides talking.
However, the Taliban has rejected to hold direct talks with the Afghanistan government and its officials and called it as a puppet of the US nation and insisted only over the negotiation process with the American officials.
Khalilzad, an envoy of Washington, has said previously that he did held meetings with the Afghanistan officials involves in a protracted conflict. Last month, a statement by Taliban disclosed that it had held three consecutive meetings of talks with Khalilzad in Qatar – armed group maintained a political presence.
After those meeting, Khalilzad went to Kabul and urged Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to make a team together that could be able to hold talks with Taliban, aimed to reach to an agreement over a “roadman for the future of Afghanistan”. Khalilzad said he expected the agreement to be reached before Afghanistan presidential election which was scheduled in April 20.
Early this month, Khalilzad had meetings in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Khalilzad was insisting Pakistan and asked for its assistance to get Taliban to negotiation table soon. Khan said that Pakistan would sponsor a meeting – UAE talks, and insisted that military solution is not the solution.