Qatari FM meets with US, Taliban officials in Doha

By Ahmed Yusuf

DOHA

Qatar’s foreign minister on Thursday met with U.S. and Taliban officials as part of ongoing efforts to achieve a degree of political reconciliation in Afghanistan, according to the Qatari News Agency (QNA).

Qatari FM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met in Doha with Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan; Scott Miller, NATO commander in Afghanistan; and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the Taliban's political bureau.

According to the QNA, the four men reportedly discussed “the Afghan peace process and political talks now underway in Doha”.

On Monday, the Qatari capital hosted a fresh round of peace talks between U.S. officials and representatives of the Taliban, which still refuses to talk to the Kabul government.

The Taliban insists on the departure of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, considering this a prerequisite for reaching a final peace deal with the government.

Kabul, for its part, insists that any peace plan should be entirely “Afghan-led”.

By Ahmed Yusuf

DOHA

According to the QNA, the four men reportedly discussed “the Afghan peace process and political talks now underway in Doha”.

On Monday, the Qatari capital hosted a fresh round of peace talks between U.S. officials and representatives of the Taliban, which still refuses to talk to the Kabul government.

The Taliban insists on the departure of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, considering this a prerequisite for reaching a final peace deal with the government.

Kabul, for its part, insists that any peace plan should be entirely “Afghan-led”.