Kabul (BNA) Bamyan governor, Sayed Anwar Rahmati says that the ancient province can be a safe venue for the intra Afghan talks.
“Bamyan; as the cradle of civilization, culture and the Silk Road, is proud to host the intra-Afghans talks in line with government’s proposal,” the governor said pointing to recent speeches of the president and National Security Advisor.
“The peace-loving people of Bamyan are proud to have a worthy role in this period of history by playing vital role in the peace process,” Governor Rahmati added.
The governor remarks come as President Ghani in a cabinet meeting the other day echoed NSA Hamdullah Mohib to say that the second round of the peace negotiation talks should be held inside Afghanistan.
“While the Taliban is claiming that they are on Afghan soil, why aren’t they holding talks on Afghan soil?” President Ghani asked, adding that the Afghan government is ready to negotiate with the Taliban in any area of Afghanistan that the group chooses.
“Afghans can negotiate under a tent, too, and in cold weather. This is not the time for luxury hotels to be considered as preconditions. It is necessary that all the people should see how the talks are moving forward, what are the areas of focus, and why,” the president said.
The National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib on Saturday said the next rounds of the peace negotiations between the teams of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban should be conducted in Afghanistan, adding that the government does not have any issue with any venue that is selected by the Taliban.
NSA Mohib said that talks within Afghanistan will build trust in the peace negotiations and will provide Afghans the ability to monitor and own the talks. He further said that peace negotiations abroad– and their negotiators–are overshadowed by conditions abroad and that experience has shown that such types of peace will not favor the interests of Afghanistan.
The peace negotiations witnessed a breakthrough earlier this month after the two sides agreed on procedural rules for the talks. The working groups of both teams held three meetings to discuss the agenda of the talks last week. Their meetings were expected to be held this week but were delayed as the two sides were consulting internally on the demands to be included in the agenda of the talks.
