Qatar, January 05: Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his country agrees with US efforts to negotiate with the Taliban, as well as a Taliban decision to open an office in the Gulf state of Qatar to facilitate peace talks.
The Afghan government has several times offered talks. But the Taliban has set pre-conditions, in particular the withdrawal of NATO-led forces from Afghanistan. The Afghan government suspended peace talk efforts with the Taliban after the assassination of Afghan chief peace negotiator and former President Burhanudin Rabbani last September.
Both US and NATO leaders say the alliance will continue to support the Afghan government after completing the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces and the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.
–Agencies–