ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday that reconciliationtalks it hosted between the United States and Taliban officials fromAfghanistan produced tangible and positive results.
The two days of meetings aimed at ending Afghanistan’s 17-year conflictwere held in Abu Dhabi, with the attendance of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The “US-Taliban reconciliation talks” produced “tangible results that arepositive for all parties concerned”, state-run WAM news agency said.
A new round of talks would be held in Abu Dhabi “to complete theAfghanistan reconciliation process,” WAM said without providing furtherdetails.
The meetings are the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts as Washingtonseeks a way out of the Afghan conflict, which began with the US invasion in2001.
US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said he had “productive” meetings in the UAE withAfghan and international partners “to promote intra-Afghan dialogue towardsending the conflict”.
Khalilzad tweeted that he met with Pakistani officials on Wednesday tobrief them, before plans to travel onwards to meet Afghan leaders in Kabul.
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An Afghan negotiating team travelled to Abu Dhabi for “proximity dialogue”with the Taliban in preparation for face-to-face meetings, presidentialspokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said Tuesday.
The Taliban has not confirmed meeting Afghan officials, saying Tuesday theyhad held “preliminary talks” with the US envoy.
They also said they had held “extensive” meetings with officials fromPakistan and Saudi Arabia and the UAE, repeating demands for internationalforces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.
Those three countries were the only ones to recognise the Talibangovernment during its five-year rule from 1996. -APP/AFP
