Doha: Agenda Not Discussed by Working Groups for 6 Days
Chief negotiators from the Afghan Republic and the Taliban met on Sunday, but the working groups from both sides failed to meet on Monday to finalize the agenda for the talks.
Three meetings were held in the first days since the talks resumed on January 6, but the working groups from both sides have not met for the last six days
According to negotiator Nader Nadery, it was only the heads of the two teams and a limited amount of members who met on Sunday evening and discussed the agenda.
The lack of meetings was criticized by Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, who met with a number of foreign diplomats at a virtual event to discuss coordination around the peace efforts.
English By Ayesha Tanzeem Share on Facebook Print this page ISLAMABAD - Afghan officials say the government has decided to hold the second round of peace negotiations with the Taliban in Doha, the same place where the first round was held.
Faridoon Khawzoon, a spokesman for the Afghanistan High Council for National Reconciliation, the body responsible for overseeing the negotiations, said the decision was taken due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions.
Several countries had been in the running to host the peace negotiations, including Norway and Germany.
Doha was also the venue for negotiations between the United States and the Taliban that led to the signing of a deal between the two countries in February 2020. The Taliban have maintained an unofficial political office in Doha for years.
KABUL: A team of government-appointed negotiators were expected to return from Doha, Qatar on Monday to “consult with authorities” on the next step for the intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban, after agreeing to ground rules with the insurgent group for the US-sponsored process.
“The delegation will return later (today) to Kabul for consultation with authorities and government leadership, not for rest,” Habiba Sarabi, a member of the Afghan government-appointed team, told Arab News. “The Taliban have also gone for consultations. Both sides have agreed on this.”
The Qatar talks, which began on Sept. 12, were held after a historic deal was signed between the US and the Taliban in February.
57% of Surveyed Afghans Optimistic About Peace Talks December 13,2020
KABUL - A survey by the Institute of War and Peace Studies (IWPS) shows that over 57 percent of surveyed Afghans are optimistic that the ongoing negotiations between the Afghan Republic and the Taliban teams in Doha will lead the country to a lasting peace. According to IWPS, from 8,627 respondents, 58.1% are men and 4.9% are women. The survey respondents’ residence has been divided into two categories of rural and urban. The IWPS says 52.75 percent of the respondents are residents of rural areas while 47.25 percent live in urban areas. The Afghan People’s Peace Perception Survey is a third its kind that shows 15 percent of the respondents have no hope about the ongoing talks in Doha.
57% of Surveyed Afghans Optimistic About Peace Talks
A survey by the Institute of War and Peace Studies (IWPS) shows that over 57 percent of surveyed Afghans are optimistic that the ongoing negotiations between the Afghan Republic and the Taliban teams in Doha will lead the country to a lasting peace.
According to IWPS, from 8,627 respondents, 58.1% are men and 4.9% are women. The survey respondents’ residence has been divided into two categories of rural and urban. The IWPS says 52.75 percent of the respondents are residents of rural areas while 47.25 percent live in urban areas.
The Afghan People’s Peace Perception Survey is a third its kind that shows 15 percent of the respondents have no hope about the ongoing talks in Doha.