Afghan politicians, journalists, civil society members and youths make the delegates of the intra-Afghan talks in Doha.
DOHA - A delegation of 50 members from the Afghan political elites, civil society members, youths and journalists on Saturday left Kabul for Doha to attend an intra-Afghan dialogue which according to critics is a platform for discussions on the ongoing efforts for peace and reconciliation in war-ravaged Afghanistan.
The delegates who attended the two rounds of talks with the Taliban in Moscow this year are not among the intra-Afghan dialogue members in Doha.
On July 2, Germany's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Markus Potzel, said in a statement that as part of their efforts to support the peace process in Afghanistan, Germany and Qatar will convene an Intra-Afghan Dialogue Conference to be held in Doha on 7 and 8 July 2019.
“Afghanistan stands at a critical moment of opportunity for progress towards peace,” Potzel said, adding that “an essential component of any process leading to this objective will be a direct engagement between Afghans.”
“Only Afghans themselves can decide the future of their country. An Intra-Afghan Dialogue can help clarify the options and opportunities of such direct engagement,” he added.
Germany and Qatar hope that this event will contribute to trust-building among key stakeholders, representing a wide spectrum of the Afghan people and society, and thus foster peace and stability in Afghanistan and the wider region.
The US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in a tweet on Monday night thanked Germany and Qatar for hosting the July 7-8 intra-Afghan Dialogue Conference and said that this dialogue is an essential element of the four-part peace framework and an important step in advancing the Afghan peace process.
Khalilzad also said that agreeing to resolve political differences without force is what is needed to learn from the tragedy of the last 40 years. “I wish participants success,” he concluded. (Tolo news)