‘Sooner or Later’ Taliban Will Talk with Afghan Government

The U.S. and the Taliban officials have wrapped up their meeting in Qatar after six consecutive days as part of the efforts to reach into a potential deal to end the 17 years of deadly war in Afghanistan.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad who led the U.S. delegation in Qatar talks said that the meeting with the Taliban representatives was more “productive” than it has been in the past.

He said he was heading to Kabul for “consultations” in this regard.

“Will build on the momentum and resume talks shortly,” Khalilzad said in a series of Twitter posts.  “We have a number of issues left to work out. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, and “everything” must include an intra-Afghan dialogue and comprehensive ceasefire.”

In each round of peace talks, the Taliban have so far refused to sit down in negotiating table with the Afghan government.

The Taliban a statement on Sunday confirmed that Qatar talks saw progress, but

they warned that “until the issue of withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan is agreed upon, progress in other issues is impossible.”

However, a source close to the Taliban told Ariana News that the direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government will not happen in the near future, adding that it will not be “impossible” that the two sides don’t meet.

 “Sooner or later, the talks will take place,” the source noted.