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Saturday, May 15, 2021, 13:05
Taliban and Afghan government negotiators meet in Doha
By Reuters
Saturday, May 15, 2021, 13:05 By Reuters

In this file photo taken on May 05, 2021 Afghan security forces stand near an armoured vehicle during ongoing fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters in the Busharan area on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital city of Helmand province. (SIFATULLAH ZAHIDI / AFP)

KABUL - Taliban and Afghan government negotiators met in Qatar on Friday, the second day of a three-day ceasefire announced by the Taliban for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, both sides said after a long pause in peace talks between the two.

They began negotiations in September last year to find a way to end decades of war. But the talks stalled after a few rounds and violence has escalated since the United States started a final pullout of troops from Afghanistan on May 1.

Finding common ground between Taliban and Afghan government has been a top priority for Western capitals, particularly Washington, which has announced it will withdraw all US troops by September to end its 20-year military presence in Afghanistan

ALSO READ: Taliban capture key district near Afghan capital

“The two sides discussed the on-going situation of the country and emphasized speeding up the peace talks in Doha,” the negotiating team representing the Afghan government said on Twitter.

The spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, Mohammad Naeem, posted a similar message on Twitter, and added that both sides agreed to continue talks after the Eid holidays.

Finding common ground between the two warring sides has been a top priority for Western capitals, particularly Washington, which has announced it will withdraw all US troops by September to end its 20-year military presence in Afghanistan.

READ MORE: Biden 'sets Sept 11 target for US troop pullout from Afghanistan'

The Taliban refused to attend a Washington-backed conference in Istanbul last month that was being held in a bid to speed up peace talks. The event was later indefinitely postponed.

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