Sides To Afghanistan Conflict Must Agree On Istanbul Meeting Date - Khalilzad

The sides you the Afghanistan conflict must decide on a date to meet in Istanbul and arrive with specific proposals, Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative on Afghanistan Reconciliation said in a hearing on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) The sides you the Afghanistan conflict must decide on a date to meet in Istanbul and arrive with specific proposals, Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative on Afghanistan Reconciliation said in a hearing on Tuesday.

"We welcome the United Nations, Turkey's and Qatar's willingness to co-convene high-level negotiations in Istanbul," Khalilzad said to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. "The parties need to agree to a date as soon as possible and we expect them to come prepared with concrete proposals."

Istanbul was scheduled to host a conference with the participation of the Afghan government and the Taliban from April 24-May 4 at the initiative of the US.

The conference was postponed days before the scheduled kickoff due to the Taliban's refusal to attend. The movement has said that it is reluctant to participate in any conference until all foreign troops are withdrawn.

The Afghan government and Taliban have been engaged in peace talks in Qatar's capital Doha since September last year, but have yet to reach any substantial breakthroughs. The talks were ongoing against a background of relentless violence in Afghanistan, with regular attacks against civilians and clashes between the Taliban and government forces leaving scores dead and injured.