ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban have said that they will travel to Russia in early September to attend a meeting of the representatives of regional countries in Moscow on peace in Afghanistan, Taliban sources said Tuesday. A Taliban official confirmed to Daily Times that they had accepted Russian invitation to attend the meeting that would be attended by officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China and several Central Asia countries. “We have accepted the Russian government’s invitation and will attend the meeting but will not hold talks with the Afghan government’s representatives,” a Taliban official who requested not to be named said. The meeting is scheduled for September 4, Russian President’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told Russian media. Kabulov told Russian Interfax news agency that his government had invited Taliban representatives to the Moscow-format meeting launched in 2017 to promote political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. It remained uncertain whether the United States would attend the meeting or not. The United States had boycotted a meeting that Russia hosted in April, 2017, which was attended by 11 countries. Taliban stepped up diplomacy following their meeting in Qatar in July and their political envoys visited Uzbekistan and Indonesia. In March this year, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev offered to host talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban when he spoke at an international conference. Indonesia hosted a conference of the religious scholars of Pakistan, Afghan and Indonesia, which called for direct talks between the Taliban and Afghan government. Daily Times has learnt that Taliban political representatives have also planned more foreign visits to discuss their peace initiative with several countries, particularly neighbouring countries. Visits to Pakistan and China are also planned, a Taliban source said. Russia has been active in diplomatic efforts for peace in Afghanistan since it hosted a trilateral meeting of Pakistan, China and Russia in December 2016 that was followed by another meeting, which was also attended by Afghanistan, India and Iran. In another development, Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan Deng Xijun on Monday held talks in Kabul on the prospects of reconciliation with the Taliban, Afghan officials said. Ambassador Xijun met Afghanistan National Security Adviser Haneef Atmar and renewed support to the Afghan-led reconciliation process, Atmar’s office said in a statement. The Afghan NSA lauded China role for peace and security in Afghanistan and the region, according to the statement received by Daily Times. The Chinese envoy reiterated Beijing’s support for President Ashraf Ghani’s dialogue offer to the Taliban. It is the second visit of the Chinese envoy to the region in three months. He last visited Kabul and Islamabad in June. Earlier in the day, Afghan authorities said that security forces killed two militants in an hours-long battle in Kabul involving insurgent rocket attacks and military airstrikes. The assault came as President Ashraf Ghani was delivering a speech marking the first day of the Eidul Azha holiday, days after he offered the Taliban a conditional three-month ceasefire. It was not clear who carried out the attack. Published in Daily Times, August 22nd 2018.