Kabul hosts meeting for strengthening regional consensus on peace

The Afghan government Monday held a meeting in Kabul on the peace process for strengthening regional consensus on the Afghan peace process.

Representatives from 19 countries and international organizations including the United Nations participated in the meeting.

The video session, led by Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, kicked off with a speech by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Monday evening.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting was aimed at strengthening regional consensus and focused on reducing violence, starting Intra-Afghan talks, reaching a ceasefire, and releasing Taliban prisoners.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on all laterals to the war in Afghanistan to reduce violence and increase their efforts to achieve peace.

Speculation to start the talks between the two sides comes as tensions have escalated and the level of violence has risen.

The Taliban have made the release of their prisoners conditional on the start of peace talks between Afghans in which an agreement will be reached on a ceasefire, and the government has made the release of all Taliban prisoners conditional on the release of prisoners.

The Afghan government, however, says it is not possible to release specific figures of Taliban prisoners whose group insists on their release.

The Taliban have carried out 36 offensive attacks on Afghan forces in six provinces in the past 24 hours, according to the latest government figures. In addition to the escalation of attacks, it is to be seen whether the regional consensus and international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will succeed in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table or not.