Afghan president’s political rival Abdullah Abdullah on Tuesday said that formation of an “inclusive” negotiating team was an “important step” to facilitate intra-Afghan peace talks.
In a statement on Facebook, Abdullah said although election-related political crisis remains unresolved, he is committed to not allow peace to be overshadowed by differences.
Abdullah said that considerations by some sides about the composition of the negotiating team are understandable, adding there should be ground for more inclusive representation as talks continue.
He also said the issues of the manner of reporting and the venue of authorizing the team are subject to discussion.
Afghan government announced a 21-member team for negotiations with the Taliban last week, but the group refused to negotiate with the team saying it was not inclusive.
No more reasons to postpone intra-Afghan negotiations: EU
Now that there is progress on the issue of prisoners and the negotiation team has been chosen consensually, there are no more reasons to postpone the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations, EU Heads of Mission based in Kabul said in a statement.
The statement called on the Taliban to respect and work constructively with the team put in place in Kabul.
It called on the Afghan government to work with the Taliban team despite its lack of inclusivity.
“We also call on the Taliban to show genuine commitment to peace negotiations and to reduce violence and engage in meaningful discussions on a ceasefire, as per the Doha Agreement”
