Afghanistan endgame: China takes a new initiative over Afghanistan war

Afghanistan endgame: China takes a new initiative over Afghanistan war

BEIJING - China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will form a contact group to help in a political settlement in Afghanistan to put an end to the long-lasted war.

He made the remarks in a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Chingiz Aidarbekov in Beijing on Thursday.

“We will make the SCO Afghanistan contact group to play a better role so we can speed up the political settlement of Afghanistan internal issues,” said Wang.

His remarks come as efforts on Afghan peace have been accelerated which include creation of a “national negotiating team” by Afghan government. Reports indicate that Taliban has also formed their negotiating team.

A number of researchers at the at the Middle East Institute in Washington said reaching peace in Afghanistan without direct engagement of Afghans is difficult.

Former Afghan envoy to Canada Omar Samad talking at the institute said nothing will go ahead successfully until Afghans have discord among themselves.