Taliban, Afghan government to attend peace talks in Turkey April 24
The meeting includes the United Nations and Qatar as part of a US-backed push to jump-start the peace process
File Photo: Delegates attend talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in Doha, Qatar September 12, 2020. REUTERS/Ibraheem al Omari
Turkey will host a major summit on Afghanistan's peace process in Istanbul from April 24 to May 4, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding representatives from the Taliban and Afghan government would both attend the talks.
The meeting includes the United Nations and Qatar as part of a US-backed push to jump-start the peace process. On Monday, the Taliban said it was unwilling, based on timing, to attend talks in Turkey that were initially scheduled for April 16.
"Participation in the Conference and its agenda have been the subject of extensive consultations with the Afghan parties," the ministry said. The meeting is meant to determine a roadmap for a future political settlement and end to the conflict, it added.
