Taliban's refusal to join Istanbul Conference shows unwillingness to end war: Afghan govt

The Taliban's refusal to participate in the international conference on Afghanistan, previously scheduled to take place in Istanbul, shows the group's unwillingness to end the war, Nader Nadery, a senior member of the Afghan government's peace negotiation team in Doha, told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Moscow [Russia], April 21 (ANI/Sputnik): The Taliban's refusal to participate in the international conference on Afghanistan, previously scheduled to take place in Istanbul, shows the group's unwillingness to end the war, Nader Nadery, a senior member of the Afghan government's peace negotiation team in Doha, told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Istanbul was scheduled to host a conference with participation of the Afghan government and the Taliban from April 24-May 4. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Tuesday that the event would be postponed, as it makes no sense without the Taliban's participation. The movement has said that it is reluctant to participate in any conference until all foreign troops are withdrawn.

"Their reluctance to participate in talks facilitated by the goodwill of the government of Turkey and co-facilitated by Qatar and the United Nations is a clear sign of lack of interest to end this war peacefully. By doing so, they are breaking with national and international consensus," Nadery said. (ANI/Sputnik)

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