Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Political representatives of Afghan Taliban have held talks with Uzbek officials to discuss peace prospects in the war-torn Afghanistan, Uzbek Foreign Ministry and the Taliban said Saturday.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said that a delegation of the political office of Taliban in Doha, led by its head Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, “exchanged views on peace prospects” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Taliban political office also confirmed the visit in a statement. The delegation visited Uzbekistan from August 6 to August 10 on the invitation of Uzbek officials.

“The delegation exchanged views with Uzbek officials on the withdrawal of foreign troops and also explored ways for reconciliation in Afghanistan,” Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban political office said in a statement.

The delegates met Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and presidential envoy for Afghanistan Ismatilla Irgashev and discussed the security of current and future development projects of Uzbekistan in Afghanistan.

The development came months after Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev offered to host talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

“We stand ready to create all necessary conditions, at any stage of the peace process, to arrange direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and Taliban movement,” President Mirziyoyev had told an international peace conference in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent on March 28.

The conference on the ‘Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Connectivity’, which endorsed the National Unity Government’s offer of direct talks with the Taliban without any preconditions with the ultimate goal of reaching a comprehensive peace agreement, was backed by the international community.

The ‘Tashkent Declaration’ issued at the conference called upon the Taliban to accept the offer for a peace process in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.’

However, the Taliban are reluctant to talk to the Kabul administration on the plea that they do not recognise what they call the “powerless” government.

Last month, Taliban political representatives met senior American officials in Doha in first direct talks. Sources revealed to Daily Times that the next meeting was likely to be held next month.

A Taliban official, privy to the July 23 meeting between the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, had earlier told Daily Times that the talks were “useful”.

Uzbekistan is seen as a possible peace broker as it enjoys good relations with Afghanistan and contacts with the Taliban political office.

The Central Asian country had previously been involved in peace talks between the Taliban and its rival northern alliance.

In 1999, a meeting of the Group “6+2” was held in Tashkent where representatives of the Northern Alliance and Taliban also participated. Experts are of the view that the Taliban’s visit to Tashkent is part of their efforts to expand contacts with the international community, especially neighbouring countries. Nazar Mutmaeen, a Kabul-based political analyst and writer, however, says Taliban do not seek any mediation of Uzbekistan and will not opt for any such role. “I think Taliban want to have good relations with all countries. I do not think Taliban are seeking any mediation as they will never accept it,” Mutmaeen told Daily Times from Kabul.

Published in Daily Times, August 12^th 2018.