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The United States won't attend a multinational peace conference on Afghanistan next month in Russia, a State Department official said Thursday.
The reasons: The US wasn't consulted before receiving the invitation and doesn't know Russia's objectives for the gathering.
The official said that Washington wants to work with Moscow on regional efforts to end the 16-year war, and that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would bring up the matter when he visits Russia in April. The official wasn't authorised to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India and several Central Asian nations are among the invitees to the Moscow conference. Afghan and US officials say the Taliban aren't invited. The State Department hasn't publicly announced its position on the planned conference.
Last year, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States met to jump-start the peace process but that effort faltered.
The official said the US wants nations in the region, which have a shared interest in peace in Afghanistan, to increase pressure on the Taliban to negotiate with the Afghan government.
Last week, Pakistani officials hosted seven Taliban leaders in Islamabad to try to press the insurgents into peace talks ahead of the Moscow meeting, two Taliban officials told the AP.
Islamabad has been under international pressure to try to bring Taliban leaders, who have lived in Pakistan since their rule in Afghanistan was overthrown in the 2001 US invasion, into some form of negotiations with Kabul.
In Washington on Tuesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani called for the US to add to the 8,400 troops currently in Afghanistan where the Taliban have stepped up attacks and the Islamic State group also poses a threat.
He said the Afghan government remains open to peace talks but doubted the Taliban would participate unless Pakistan cracked down on “terrorist safe havens” on its soil a long-running source of bitterness between the neighbouring countries.
Comments (9) Closed
Quite undiplomatic...
a true proud leadaer
last yaer usa,afghan,pakistan china met it failed
china, russia, pakistan met it too failed miseably bec afghan whise issue they were talking about was not inited
without india, iran being involved no talks will succeed
bec they have their int too
ideally it should be, afghan, iran, pakistan, india, usa, tajiksistan,uzbec
then talks can seceed becrthese are directly involved or common border
china russia are optional, but would make more sense if involved
@Rich India share no border with Afghanistan - it has no practicle, ehical or otherwise reason to be included in any such talks.
@Khan china Russia and US also no shares any border with afganistan
@Khan , boss we need business from central asia, economic relation is the mutual connection for all the needs, afghanistan, iran, uzbhekistan, turkmenistan has mineral and oil resources, which is needed to be shared for each others economical needs and nothing is free everything is paid for, we need afghanistan to be prosper and educate not in terms of madrassah education for destruction, but in terms of human education for growth, and we need transit route from pakistan for economical needs, nothing is free everything is paid for...
Russia is seeking stability and peace in region .
@Shiva shiva bhai i agree with you. Nice analysis
Pakistan accepts Russian invitation to Afghan peace conference.
@Shiva , I agree common people from every country need peace, education and growth. Without Taliban peace conference will not succeed.
"The official said the US wants nations in the region, which have a shared interest in peace in Afghanistan, to increase pressure on the Taliban to negotiate with the Afghan government".
Taliban and Pashtuns are majority in Afghanistan. Minority puppet government is trying to govern Afghanistan with the help of foreigners.
Madrassah is a place for education and Islamic teaching similar to any other school or Paathshaala. Madrassah is not for the purpose of any destruction. Ironically it is evident that stereotype people and politicians are deliberately propagating and tarnishing image of Madrassah.
Madrassah, Paathshaala or any other school must be monitored by authorities that what is being taught there.