Taliban ‘unwilling’ peace talks participants: Nadery

Nader Nadery, a member of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s (IRA) peace talks team says the negotiating teams have not held any formal meetings in the last nine days.

Nadery stated in a tweet that the Taliban has not been willing to engage in the peace talks.

“9 days that formal meetings are not held and the other side (Taliban) is not willing to engage in talks to end the conflict and save lives,” Nadery tweeted.

Nadery stressed that peace and ending the violence are the top priority of the people and the government of Afghanistan.

“To achieve this noble goal the Peace Negotiating Team of IRoA is committed and present in Doha,” he said.

This comes as a Taliban delegation led by the group’s head of political office, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is in Tehran to meet with the country’s officials.

The Taliban’s spokesman Mohammad Naeem said they would discuss relations between the two countries; the issue of Afghan refugees in Iran; and the current political and security situation in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry, however, said in a statement Iran would share Tehran’s view on the Afghan peace process, and “the existence of a regional consensus on an immediate ceasefire, a comprehensive peace agreement within the republic, and the preservation of constitutional values.”

Iran also wants to ensure that post-conflict Afghanistan would be no longer a safe haven for “terrorist groups” and remains a center of regional and international cooperation.