WASHINGTON: The United States will participate in a quadrilateral meeting on Afghanistan in Islamabad on Monday, says an official US announcement.

“Obviously, we will participate, and we’re looking forward to the discussions,” US State Department’s spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing in Washington.

“We’re obviously looking forward to trying to make some progress here on what has been a very difficult issue,” he added. China and Afghanistan are also sending their senior officials to the meeting.

Pakistan, which hosted the first direct talks between Taliban representatives and Afghan officials in Murree last summer, is hosting this meeting too.

But Mr Kirby clarified that “no Taliban (are) involved” in these talks. They will be invited to a separate meeting, which will be held after these quadrilateral talks.

The United States and China have not yet identified the officials they are sending to the meeting.

“It’ll be an opportunity to further our partnership with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China in support of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned reconciliation,” Mr Kirby told a news briefing in Washington. “(This) is what we’ve said all along we want to see,” he said.

Asked if US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson will also attend this meeting, Mr Kirby said that he was not yet ready to identify the officials who will represent the US at the talks. “I don’t have any specific delegation members to announce or to speak of today,” he added.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2016