Moscow Welcomes Resumption Of US-Taliban Peace Talks - Russian Foreign Ministry

Moscow is positively assessing resumption of the US-Taliban talks, but is careful in estimating their possible outcomes amid Washington's attempts to reshape the negotiations agenda, Russian Foreign Ministry Second Asian Department Director Zamir Kabulov told Sputnik Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) Moscow is positively assessing resumption of the US-Taliban talks, but is careful in estimating their possible outcomes amid Washington's attempts to reshape the negotiations agenda, Russian Foreign Ministry Second Asian Department Director Zamir Kabulov told Sputnik Tuesday.

A new round of US-Taliban consultations started in Doha on Monday, after several scheduled bilateral meetings were canceled or postponed for an indefinite period.

"We positively assess [resumption of the talks]. If the Americans are ready to seriously talk with the Taliban on major issues and withdrawal of foreign troops is the main issue for them well, this is a positive trend.

But there were so many ups and downs along the way that we are wary of all these messages," the diplomat said.

"Previously, the Taliban expressed harsh dissatisfaction with the fact that [US State Department Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay] Khalilzad was trying to reshape the agenda of negotiations with the Taliban... So, I think that this process is at the very beginning and quite unpredictable," Kabulov added.