The chairman of the High Council of National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, on Wednesday said that the next venue for the second round of peace negotiation talks between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban will be determined in coordination between the negotiators from the two sides, saying the issue of the venue shouldn’t cause any delays for holding the second round of the talks.

Abdullah made the remarks at a meeting with members of the negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the talks with the Taliban. The Kabul team returned from Doha on Tuesday.

The meeting took place as the Taliban delegation headed by deputy leader Mullah Baradar met with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday to discuss the Afghan peace process.

Mullah Baradar will be visiting Pakistan for two days and, during the visit, “the delegation will meet with the Foreign Minister and call on the Prime Minister,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement.

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has said that the Afghan government was aware of the trip by the Taliban deputy leader to Pakistan, saying Afghanistan hopes that the trip will lead to a reduction in violence in the country.

This comes after President Ashraf Ghani in a cabinet meeting on Monday echoed NSA Hamdullah Mohib to say that the second round of the peace negotiation talks should be held in Afghanistan.  

The Taliban has opposed President Ashraf Ghani’s call to hold the next round of the peace negotiations in Afghanistan, saying the request signals fear on the republic's side.

Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told TOLOnews that "spoilers of the peace process," by making such a demand, see their power and personal interest in danger.

“Naturally, it is would priority that these talks are held inside Afghanistan as they are Afghan talks, however this issue is related to the agreement between the two sides, we will talk about it, but venue for the talks should not delay the start of the negotiations,” said Abdullah.

“In the first step, we have to finalize the venue of the talks, even if the talks are delayed for one day, this will only add to woes of the Afghan people,” added Abdullah.

“We hope to reach to a conclusion on these preliminary proposals and other priorities that are important for the Afghan people as a result of these consultations inside Afghanistan,” said Fawzia Koofi, a member of the republic’s negotiating team.

The peace negotiations witnessed a breakthrough earlier this month after the two sides agreed on procedural rules for the talks. The working groups of both teams held three meetings to discuss the agenda of the talks last week. Their meetings were expected to be held this week but were delayed as the two sides were consulting internally on the demands to be included in the agenda of the talks.

“It will be that the Taliban explain the Islam that they insist upon to the Afghan people so that everyone becomes confident including the westerners about it,” said Sayed Eshaq Gailani, member of the High Council of National Reconciliation.

 The ceasefire:

While securing a ceasefire is one of the first demands of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Taliban believe that the ceasefire will come after an agreement on the establishment and implementation of an Islamic system in the country.

“If someone wants to have a ceasefire, we want the end of the fire and war,” said Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban in Doha.

Long pause for talks pose new obstacles

“This is quite a long pause in the talks that they have decided upon from the middle of December all the way until January 5th, that’s quite a long time for things to happen that pose new obstacles in the peace process, it means that the negotiators will likely be subjected to a lot of pressures, different kinds of pressures pulling them in different directions that may make it harder rather than easier for them to do their jobs when they return to talks,” said Laurel Miller, director of the International Crisis Group's Asia Program.

 Big picture of Afghan negotiations

TOLOnews has seen a document that indicates that a 28-article list of demands has been shared verbally by the Afghan republic's team with the Taliban, and the Taliban has verbally shared a list of 24 demands with the republic's negotiators.

The republic's negotiators have been categorized into five sections. A discussion about a ceasefire is on the top of the republic's list, while it is the last demand on the Taliban’s 24-article request list.

The Taliban has made the following demands:

 • Islamic government 

• Type of future Islamic government

• Leadership 

• Defense and security sector 

• Islamic council 

• Constitution 

• Foreign policy

• Developing policies based on international measures and considering Islamic principles and national values 

• Independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan

• National unity in Afghanistan 

• Commitment to national interests 

• National values 

• Education 

• Fundamental human rights 

• Ensuring compensation for widows and orphans

• Ensuring women’s rights in light of Islamic principles and national traditions

• Ensuring the legitimate and principled rights of prisoners 

• Special attention to the disabled 

• Transfer and treatment of wounded

• Prevention of drugs 

• Freedom of expression based on Islamic principles 

• Prevention of propaganda  

• Removing moral corruption and corruption in public offices 

• Permanent ceasefire 

The demands of the Islamic Republic have been grouped in five sections. 

First, the focus is on security and permanent and countrywide ceasefire. 

Second, it focuses on development in services and quality education, healthcare and agriculture, and ensuring the security of infrastructural projects.

Third: The team has shared its demands about politics, creating a common view on the country based on Islamic values and democracy, a roadmap for political participation, international guarantees for the implementation of agreements in peace, the rights and legitimate freedoms of citizens and preserving the achievements of Afghans.

The demands of the Republic team in detail: 

A. Security: 

• Permanent and countrywide ceasefire 

• Establishment of a mechanism for monitoring and implementation of ceasefire 

• Ensuring the safety of all routes, including highways and the prevention of any type of extortion

• Blocking illegal routes with neighboring countries

• Strengthening the national defense and security forces 

• Demilitarizing areas 

• Eradicating poppy cultivation and the processing and smuggling of drugs 

• Fighting against organized crime

• Ensuring the security of historical and Islamic sites

• Protecting natural resources and preventing their illegal use

• Ensuring the security of public installations including power networks, transportation and the property of the Muslim nation of Afghanistan.

• Expelling foreign fighters and terrorist groups and partnering in military activity to prevent the killing of the Muslim people of Afghanistan

• Putting an end to arbitrary and extra-judicial punishment 

• Preventing the stopping and targeting of individuals based on ethnicity and gender (on roadways)

• Clarity on relations with other countries

B. Development

• Providing the foundation for quality and countrywide public services in healthcare, education, agriculture and others. 

• Ensuring the security of infrastructural projects and providing the conditions for employment 

• Providing the conditions for the return of refugees and their accommodations. 

• Running joint programs to care for war victims and to look after the families of martyrs and the disabled.  

• Protection of Afghans’ capital and making efforts to lead the country to self-reliance economically

C. Politics 

• Establishment of a common vision for the country based on Islamic and democratic values 

• Roadmap for political participation 

• International guarantees for the implementation of peace agreements

• The legitimate rights and freedoms of citizens and preserving the achievements of Afghans 

• Strengthening national institutions 

• Fighting against any type of corruption in society and providing the conditions for good governance 

• Preserving the international commitments of Afghanistan and observing international charters

D. Executive mechanisms 

• For the implementation of each section, a practical mechanism should be discussed, such as a mechanism for the monitoring of ceasefire.

E. Finalizing peace agreement

New deputy commander for NATO's RS mission

NATO announced on Wednesday the arrival of a new deputy commander at the Resolute Support Mission.

Lieutenant General Nicola Zanelli of the Italian Army assumed the position of deputy commander of the NATO-led mission Resolute Support, which trains,  advises and assists the Afghan security forces, a NATO press release said. Zanelli takes over for Lieutenant General Giles Hill of the British Army.

Lieutenant General Zanelli stressed the importance of supporting Afghan security forces to maintain the gains made, as “a commitment due to the Afghan people and to our brothers in arms from all the contributing nations who have fallen and been wounded on the long path towards lasting peace in Afghanistan.”

At the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on  December 1-2, 2020, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that all allies remain committed to the mission and to supporting Afghan security forces in the fight against terrorism and committed to contributing to the financial sustainment of the Afghan security forces through 2024.