Karzai in Qatar on talks of ending Afghanistan's war
President Hamid Karzai will negotiate with the Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan before foreign troops withdraw.
Sunday 31 March 2013 15:46
REUTERS
President Hamid Karzai held talks with Qatari leaders on Sunday, official media reported, on a visit the Kabul government has said would seek to explore the possibility of talks with Taliban insurgents on ending Afghanistan's war.
Karzai's trip to the Gulf Arab state, a US ally which has mediated in conflicts in Arab or Muslim countries, follows years of stalled discussions among the United States, Pakistan and the Taliban about a possible Afghan settlement. Afghanistan's embassy in Doha confirmed Karzai's arrival on Saturday for a two-day visit to the Qatari capital, but declined to give any details on the purpose of the visit.
Qatar's state news agency QNA said Karzai held talks with the emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, attended by the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. QNA gave no details of the discussions, and later reported without elaborating that Karzai had left the country.
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Janan Mosazai, announcing the visit last week, said Karzai would "discuss the peace process and the opening of a (Taliban) office for the purposes of conducting negotiations with Afghanistan."
http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/1bbbb2804f1755de81b88b1e5d06aea0/Karzai-in-Qatar-on-talks-of-ending-Afghanistans-war-20133103