MOSCOW: Taliban officials and Afghan opposition figures claimed Thursday to have made “tremendous progress” at Moscow talks, but the announcement rang hollow as discussions yet again excluded the Afghan government and no ceasefire was announced.The ultra-conservative Islamist insurgents spent more than two days at a plush hotel in central Moscow, where they met several leading Afghan politicians -- including past president Hamid Karzai and former warlord Atta Muhammad Nur.In a joint statement, the parties said they’d had “productive and constructive” discussions focusing on issues including a possible ceasefire, the “strengthening of the Islamic system” and “women’s rights”. “Both sides have had tremendous progress, but some issues require further discussions,” the statement read.But with the Kabul administration -- viewed by the Taliban as a US-backed puppet regime -- once more sidelined from the conversation, it was difficult to see what tangible results could come from the talks. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, but the Taliban rejected the offer.The Taliban have also baulked at repeated US calls to reduce violence while negotiations between the insurgents and Washington are ongoing. The meeting in Moscow was the second such summit in the Russian capital. The bearded, turban-wearing Taliban were photographed looking uncomfortable as female reporters in figure-hugging Western clothing approached them for interviews. While parties claimed the Moscow summit was an “intra-Afghan” meeting, representatives from Ghani’s government -- as well as anyone from the US -- were conspicuous in their absence.Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai -- the Taliban´s chief negotiator and former deputy minister of foreign affairs -- insisted the insurgents were seeking peace “with all sincerity”. “But we want a reasonable peace in Afghanistan... the occupation has to end,” he said. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the group envisions a future government in which “all Afghans would see themselves”.
06-01-2019, 02:19 AM
Taliban, Afghan opposition officials claim ?progress? at talks
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