Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, stated on Thursday that he is confident that talks between Afghans will begin next week.

At an event held at the Institute of War and Peace Studies (IWPS) to introduce the “Afghan People's Peace Perception Survey," Abdullah emphasized that the Afghan government’s negotiating team is fully prepared to participate in the expected discussions.

“I can say with relative confidence that intra-Afghan talks will begin next week. The list of people from the Political Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation has been finalized and will be announced,” says Abdullah.

The Institute for War and Peace Studies, which has surveyed more than 8,000 individuals across all provinces about peace in Afghanistan, conclude that more than 86% of the country’s population are satisfied with the current peace process.

Furthermore, nearly 70% of those interviewed want to preserve the republic system.

“We want to promote a dialogue that will bring peace and the peace-building process out of the Afghan cities and out of the elite community into the rural areas,” said Tamim Asey, the head of The Institute of War and Peace Studies.

The EU ambassador to Afghanistan also said he considers the survey important in mobilizing people's views on the peace process and he reaffirmed the EU's continued support for Afghanistan’s negotiations.

“We support this process and look forward to the start of peace negotiations, we are still to see and to observe any gesture of goodwill and of confidence building from the other side of the negotiation and in that context, I would highlight ..... necessity not just for reduction in violence now which is a terminology (for which) we have no clear definition, but genuine and immediate and long-lasting ceasefire. I think this will respond to the expectations of all Afghans,” said Ambassador Pierre Mayaudon.

NATO Senior Civilian Representative Stefano Pontecorvo tweeted, “I met the Taliban representation in Doha. I reiterated NATO’s support to sustainable peace in Afghanistan which responds to the wishes of the Afghan people."

Members of the negotiating team also said that they are ready to talk to the Taliban negotiating team.

“What we are confident about is giving people a shared Afghanistan, and insuring that our republic, with all its shortcomings and beauties, will not only be preserved, but will last,” stated Nadir Nadiri, a member of the negotiating delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, former government officials have criticized the United States' approach to the peace process.

“We call this a kind of peace proxy, and proxy peace is like disabled peace; it can change just a proxy war's methods, but it will not end the war,” said Ramatullah Nabil, former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Abdullah Abdullah remains optimistic about the start of peace talks, despite the fact that 320 controversial Taliban prisoners have not yet been released.