Diplomat: Karzai wants transparency in Taliban talks

WASHINGTON(PAN’s top diplomat in the United States told Pajhwok Afghan News in an interview Tuesday that the United States and Afghanistan were working together.

“Right now we are working together toward reconciliation. We are working together on a successful transition. And we are working together on a strategic partnership document,” the Afghan Ambassador to the US, Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, said.

“At the end of the day a secure and stable Afghanistan will contribute to the growth and development of the region” as well as of Afghanistan itself, the Ambassador said.

Hakimi said the Afghan government is leading reconciliation efforts with the Taliban and that an international coalition of countries, including the United States, was supporting the endeavor to bring permanent peace.

“Everybody is saying that [peace talks with the Taliban] should be Afghan-led, which means that everything should be done through the Afghan government.” He said that when President Karzai described other countries’ engagement in the process, he meant that they were cooperating in an Afghan-led effort. He said the Western media had misinterpreted Karzai’s remarks.

“God willing we will succeed in our reconciliation programme,” he said.

Hakimi also said said Karzai was sharing information about the negotiations in an effort to make the process as transparent as possible so that he would not be blamed for any future deal with the Taliban.

kg

Visits: 4