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Abdullah gives peace talks update, says teams to continue discussions
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation said the Afghan Republic’s talks team and the Taliban met on Monday and discussed the agenda to take the peace talks forward.
Addressing a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Abdullah said: “Today the delegations have group consultations and very serious discussions will start tomorrow (Wednesday).”
“This is the first time that a real opportunity for peace has come; a realistic opportunity, but it is up to both sides to seize it,” Abdullah said.
“Peace requires thinking and believing in peace, and in this regard, we expect the other side (the Taliban) to take a big step, and I am sure that they will not regret it, and this is not only a political issue, but also a responsibility,” Abdullah stated.
This comes after the teams, based in Doha, discussed the agenda for the third day on Monday, sources confirmed.
The parties to the talks met on Saturday and Sunday after last week’s breakthrough in the talks deadlock.
Naeem Wardak, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, said on Monday the meetings were preliminary and that discussions around the agenda needed more time.
This comes after the two sides last week agreed to the procedures and rules on peace talks, following a drawn out deadlock after talks ground to a halt soon after the September 12 launch.
However, a breakthrough was reached last week following the intervention by a number of entities and governments including Qatar, Pakistan and the US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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