KABUL, Afghanistan: The Afghan government and the Taliban are set to hold the second round of peace talks by the end of July “most probably” in China, the officials said on Friday.
“The second round of talks… is set for July 30 or 31,” a member of the Afghan High Peace Council (HPC) Muhammad Ismail Qasimyar was quoted as saying by AFP.
The HPC member said that China would “most probably” be hosting the meeting.
However according to another official of the council, it is not confirmed that China will host the next round of talks between the two sides.
“The talks… are set for July 30 but discussions and consultation are ongoing between Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China on where to host the meeting,” the HPC deputy chairman Abdul Hakim Mujahid said.
“Which country will be hosting the meeting has not been confirmed yet,” he added.
The first round of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban were held on July 8 in the town of murree near Islamabad where representatives from the United States and China also participated in the talks as observers.
During the talks, both sides expressed their collective desire to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region. The two sides also recognized the need to undertake confidence building measures in order to engender trust among all stakeholders.
