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Afghan-led Peace Process Crucial for Success: MoFA

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday announced that successfully reinitiating peace negotiations with the Taliban depends on compliance with the promises made to the Afghan government, and the ultimate success of peace talks would only come if the process is Afghan-led.

"Unless the Qatar office does not operate in accordance to the written promises that were made to the Afghan government, we are not in a hurry to contact the Taliban representatives at the Qatar office," said Janan Mosazai, MoFA spokesman.

Mr. Mosazai said that the role of Pakistan and the U.S. in persuading the Taliban to restart peace talks should prove quite effective. He stressed that Iran also supports an Afghan-led peace process.

The MoFA, besides stressing compliance with Kabul's preconditions for talks, asserted that any attempt to restore peace and security in Afghanistan without involving the Afghans, would lead to its failure.

"If a process under the peace label is initiated and responsibility of the talks is not given to the Afghans, it will never yield positive results," Mosazai said.

The Doha office negotiation process was derailed at its onset, when the preconditions claimed by Kabul and Washington were violated by the Taliban. President Karzai regarded the Taliban's choice to fly its flag and name the office the "Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan" a flagrant attempt to undermine the authority of the Afghan government and legitimize the office as a type of embassy-in-exile.

According to James Dobbins, the U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban has refused to negotiate until they are allowed to use the title and flag they were lambasted for last month. This conditionality presents a serious obstacle to the commencement of negotiations, and it is only compounded by the fact that the group has traditionally refused to meet with Kabul government representatives all together, opting to meet with U.S. diplomats instead.

Afghan-led Peace Process Crucial for Success: MoFA

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday announced that successfully reinitiating p

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The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday announced that successfully reinitiating peace negotiations with the Taliban depends on compliance with the promises made to the Afghan government, and the ultimate success of peace talks would only come if the process is Afghan-led.

"Unless the Qatar office does not operate in accordance to the written promises that were made to the Afghan government, we are not in a hurry to contact the Taliban representatives at the Qatar office," said Janan Mosazai, MoFA spokesman.

Mr. Mosazai said that the role of Pakistan and the U.S. in persuading the Taliban to restart peace talks should prove quite effective. He stressed that Iran also supports an Afghan-led peace process.

The MoFA, besides stressing compliance with Kabul's preconditions for talks, asserted that any attempt to restore peace and security in Afghanistan without involving the Afghans, would lead to its failure.

"If a process under the peace label is initiated and responsibility of the talks is not given to the Afghans, it will never yield positive results," Mosazai said.

The Doha office negotiation process was derailed at its onset, when the preconditions claimed by Kabul and Washington were violated by the Taliban. President Karzai regarded the Taliban's choice to fly its flag and name the office the "Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan" a flagrant attempt to undermine the authority of the Afghan government and legitimize the office as a type of embassy-in-exile.

According to James Dobbins, the U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban has refused to negotiate until they are allowed to use the title and flag they were lambasted for last month. This conditionality presents a serious obstacle to the commencement of negotiations, and it is only compounded by the fact that the group has traditionally refused to meet with Kabul government representatives all together, opting to meet with U.S. diplomats instead.

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