Taliban: A New Meeting with American Officials Will Take Place

The Taliban group has confirmed that its representatives and American officials will hold a 'new meeting' on Monday, December 26, in the United Arab Emirates. The statement released by Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the militants, does not contain specific details. Mujahid also stated that representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Pakistan will also attend the meeting on Monday. The Associated Press reports that the U.S. State Department neither confirmed nor denied the meeting on Monday. However, it was reported last October that Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, met with the Taliban in Qatar, and a senior Taliban official mentioned that Khalilzad had requested a six-month ceasefire. Khalilzad is currently in the final days of his latest trip aimed at establishing peace in Afghanistan. Two days ago, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that the United States and the Taliban would directly discuss peace in Afghanistan on Monday. Meanwhile, Radio Free Europe’s Dari service reported that the Afghan presidency praises Khalilzad's efforts but 'emphasizes' that only the delegation appointed by Kabul will conduct official negotiations with the Taliban. Shah Hussain Mortazavi, deputy spokesman for the Afghan presidential palace, told Radio Free Europe that the U.S. representative for his country 'has always reported his travels to the President and shared his views, and his actions have been coordinated with the Afghan government. However, negotiations with the Taliban will be conducted by the government’s negotiating team.' Zalmay Khalilzad, an American diplomat born in Mazar-i-Sharif and former U.S. ambassador to Kabul, was appointed as the U.S. representative for Afghanistan in late summer, indicating that the Washington administration has initiated new efforts for peace negotiations. The war in Afghanistan is the longest war the United States has been involved in, costing approximately one trillion dollars according to estimates.