KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2020) Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Monday that no further obstacles remained that could put off the launch of intra-Afghan talks between the government and the Taliban movement in Doha.
Sputnik learned on Sunday that the Afghan government delegation had completed preparations for the peace talks with the Taliban in the Qatari capital. A source in Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation told Sputnik earlier on Monday that the Taliban had replaced the head of their negotiation team right before the talks, which had resulted in a new obstacle to long-awaited peace.
"The technical issues that were in Doha are also almost resolved, the Afghan negotiating team is ready, and there are no obstacles, the Taliban are expected to talk about readiness as well. One of the reasons for the delay in face-to-face talks was that the Taliban delegation was in Pakistan, then appointed a new leader for the delegation," Sediqqi said during a press conference.
According to the presidential spokesman, the Afghan government has taken all necessary steps to launch the peace process.
"We have fulfilled all our responsibilities in the peace process, now we are waiting for the Taliban to show their readiness," Sediqqi said.
The ultimate goal of the peace talks, as noted by the official, is an immediate ceasefire and end to the violence in the war-torn country.
Last week, the Taliban and the Kabul government completed the prisoner exchange, which was a mandatory precondition to starting the intra-Afghan talks.
The sides began releasing prisoners after the Taliban signed a peace process deal with the United States in late February. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani initially said he was not ready to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners but subsequently agreed to the requirement after the Taliban unleashed a wave of violence.
