Following four-nation talks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on 23 February, representatives from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US invited “all Taliban and other groups” to talks in Pakistan next week. The four countries began talks last month, which have the ultimate aim of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. Initial discussions centred on formulating a roadmap for talks, before moves began to bring the Taliban to the table. At this stage, it is unclear if the invitation will be accepted. In an interview with Al Jazeera earlier today, President Ashraf Ghani said that he was “very hopeful” about the talks.
Following four-nation talks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on 23 February, representatives from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US invited “all Taliban and other groups” to talks in Pakistan next week. The four countries began talks last month, which have the ultimate aim of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. Initial discussions centred on formulating a roadmap for talks, before moves began to bring the Taliban to the table. At this stage, it is unclear if the invitation will be accepted. In recent weeks, Pakistan has reportedly set up back-channel negotiations with the Taliban, but the group has many factions and while some may be interested in dialogue, others have previously rejected the idea.