Next round of Afghan-Taliban Peace talks likely in China

Some members of government delegation have declared that power-sharing with Taliban group in Afghanistan’s political system will be the main focus of the second of talks between both sides.

China is likely to host a second round of peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives next week, an Afghan official said.

The Afghan government will meet Taliban insurgents at the end of July for the highly anticipated second round of talks aimed at ending Afghanistan’s 13-year war, with a possible ceasefire high on the agenda.

The first round of talks brokered by Pakistan between representatives of the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban concluded in Murree, with both parties agreeing to meet again.

Both major parties agreed that for lasting peace in the region, each side would approach the process with sincerity and full commitment.

They agreed to meet again in the coming weeks but the venue remains unconfirmed and it was unclear whether the nascent dialogue was widely endorsed within the ranks of the Taliban, riven by internal divisions.

“The second round of talks is most probably going to be held in Urumqi in China on July 30,” said Ismail Qasimyar, a senior member of Afghan High Peace Council.

He added that China would “most probably” be hosting the meeting, but another HPC official said that had not been confirmed.

The Afghan delegation to the talks in Pakistan said the Taliban side had raised the issues of foreign troops operating in Afghanistan, U.N sanctions against its leaders and prisoners of war and those issues would be discussed further in the second round.

This meeting could be a step towards starting a formal peace process with the insurgent group, which was ousted from power by a US-led invasion in 2001.