Uzbekistan to host next intra-Afghan dialogue

TASHKENT: The next intra-Afghan meeting will be held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand in three to four weeks, 1TV said on Sunday, citing participants in the recently-held intra-Afghan conference in Doha.

The third intra-Afghan conference organised by Qatar and Germany was held in Qatar’s capital city on July 7 to 8. It was attended by a delegation from Taliban’s Qatar political office and Afghan politicians. Afghan government officials took part as private individuals. The conference yielded a joint statement.

In the joint declaration published on July 8, Taliban and Afghan delegates agreed to reduce victims civilian casualties to zero with pledges not to attack hospitals and schools or critical infrastructure such as hydroelectric dams and to assure Afghan women their fundamental rights in "political, social, economic, educational, cultural affairs" in a way that is "in accordance with the values of Islam."

The document is nonbinding and is seen as a basic framework for future talks on a final peace agreement between the Taliban and Afghan government representatives.