DOHA, Qatar (AP) – Afghan and Taliban officials will hold two days of “reconciliation” talks in Qatar, the Gulf nation’s state news agency reported Saturday, although both sides sought to downplay expectations from the meeting.
QNA did not identify the officials taking part in the talks, which it said began Saturday, citing Foreign Ministry official Yousif Al Sada.
“The dialogue will be through open discussions about the Afghan reconciliation between all parties in Afghanistan,” the agency said.
In a statement, the Taliban earlier identified eight people they said would take part in the talks on their behalf. However, they said the discussions “should not be misconstrued as peace or negotiation talks.”
“It is worth mentioning that all participants of this conference attend in an individual capacity, no one participates as representatives for any government or party,” the statement said. “Since this is a research conference, therefore, every participant gives their opinion on a range of issues.”