ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has offered to host Afghan peace talks amid intensified diplomatic efforts for a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. A former Taliban leader Akbar Agha told Daily Times from Kabul on Friday that Taliban were yet to decide to attend talks. The government-sponsored High Peace Council also confirmed Saudi Arabia had planned a meeting of the Taliban and the Afghan government in the near future, according to the BBC Pashto service. HPC spokesman Ehsan Tahiri said in reported comments that he was hopeful that representatives of the Afghan government and peace council would attend talks. The Taliban political envoys refused to meet the Afghan negotiators in the United Arab Emirates and the Taliban have conditionally agreed for “understanding” with the Kabul administration, if “it ought to firstly abolish the security agreement, thereby giving a decisive response to America”. The Ashraf Ghani government had struck the bilateral security agreement with the US in 2014 that allows longer stay of the American forces in Afghanistan. Saudi officials had participated in the talks between the Americans and the Taliban in Abu Dhabi on Dec 17-18, months after Saudi Arabia organized an international conference of the religious scholars, who had urged the Taliban to accept President Ghani’s dialogue offer and hold direct negotiations. As part of diplomatic efforts for political solution, Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan Deng Xijun Friday met senior Pakistani officials in Islamabad and explored ways for cooperation in the peace process. Official sources told Daily Times that Ambassador Xijun met Additional Secretary Mohemmed Aejaz at the Foreign Office on his first day of a two-day visit. “Both sides agreed to keep a close liaison on the evolving situation in the region after Abu Dhabi meeting,” a source familiar with the meeting said. The Chinese envoy will continue discussions with Pakistani officials, who will brief them about the discussions in the UAE talks that were facilitated by Pakistan. Sources said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is likely to leave for Qatar today (Saturday) as part of his shuttle diplomacy to reach out to key stakeholders in Afghan peace process. Qureshi, who earlier visited Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia, said the visit is aimed at fostering greater understanding and cooperation between all stakeholders. Published in Daily Times, December 29th 2018.