Talks teams to focus on agenda proposals as negotiations resume

Talks between the technical committees of the Afghanistan Republic’s team and the Taliban’s team around agenda-related proposals officially started in Doha on Saturday in what has become known as the “second round” of peace talks.

As the talks started, the leadership of the High Council for National Reconciliation in Kabul approved the guidelines for the second round of talks.

However, if the Afghan Republic’s team needs to make a decision, they will seek the cooperation and guidance of the council’s leadership.

“In this meeting, the country’s political leaders and members of the council committee discussed the latest developments in the peace talks, the visit of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Doha, the beginning of the second round of talks and the negotiating guidelines for the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Mujib Rahimi, senior advisor to the council’s chairman Abdullah Abdullah and director of strategic communications at the HCNR.

“The first issue on the agenda of the Afghan government’s negotiating team is a ceasefire,” Sharifa Zurmati, a member of the negotiating team said.

Sources from the HCNR meanwhile said that US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad also proposed a possible three-month ceasefire during his last visit to Kabul.

Sources said such a ceasefire would be based on the withdrawal of US troops.

“A three-month ceasefire, if agreed, would certainly be a great help to the Afghan people,” said Ishaq Gailani, senior adviser to the HCNR.

The Afghan foreign ministry has also launched a diplomatic campaign to gain global support for the success of the peace process.

“It is a priority of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to involve the countries of the region and neighboring countries in strengthening regional consensus, strengthening economic relations and strengthening political and security stability in Afghanistan,” said Gran Hewad, the ministry’s spokesman.

The second round of peace talks in Qatar comes amid ongoing violence in the country – an issue seen by many as an obstacle in the way of peace.