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EU hopes China will mediate with Taliban for talks
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IANS | 14 Mar, 2018
The European Union's Special Envoy to Afghanistan on Wednesday hoped
that "key player" China would mediate with the Taliban for acceptance of
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer for unconditional peace talks.
Speaking
at a press conference in Beijing, Roland Kobia said the EU was not in
contact with the Taliban and urged those countries that were, including
China, to talk to certain Taliban groups and mediate in the conflict,
Efe reported.
"China and the EU believe that this is an offer
that is meaningful. It is an offer that presents an opportunity and a
window that should be seized by all parties across conflict lines,"
Kobia said.
Kobia is on an official visit to China, where he met
his Chinese counterpart, Deng Xijun, and discussed, among other issues,
the ongoing peace process and terrorism.
Two weeks ago, Ghani had
offered the Taliban political recognition and talks without any
pre-conditions in order to reopen peace negotiations and end a
long-running conflict.
The Taliban are yet to respond to the
proposal, that was mooted at the opening of the second Kabul Process
conference and has the backing of the international community.
"In these kinds of scenarios windows open very quickly but they can also close very quickly," Kobia warned.
In
recent months, China has been making efforts to mediate between
Pakistan and Afghanistan, two neighbours with a complex relationship as
the latter accuses the former of supporting the Taliban.
China
has significantly increased its interest in the region with an eye to
boosting economic expansion in Central and South Asia under its
so-called "New Silk Road" initiative.
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