Saturday August 10, 2019
Kabul (BNA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in a statement released on Saturday (August 10, 2019) protested Uzbekistan's 'formal reception' of Taliban representatives.
According to BNA report, on Thursday, a Taliban delegation led by its deputy leader Mullah Baradar visited Uzbekistan and met foreign minister of the country, Abdulaziz Kamilov.
During the meeting, the sides discussed the issues related to the promotion of the peaceful political process in Afghanistan in order to establish sustainable and long-term peace in the country, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Taliban said that the sides discussed Uzbekistan’s historic and friendly relations with Afghanistan, peace talks with US, rebuilding Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s economic and development projects.
Uzbekistan said that Baradar supported holding the next round of intra-Afghan dialogue in Samarkand.
Sibghatullah Ahmadi, spokesman for Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, protested what he described as ‘formal reception’ of the Taliban.
He said that the Afghan government welcomes countries’ cooperation in peace process, but Uzbekistan’s manner of receiving Taliban representatives and holding talks was not how the country should facilitate talks between the group and Kabul.
He called on countries to respect the leadership and ownership of the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the peace process.
A.B.Maseer
