Taliban, US diplomat discuss peace talks
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban held their first direct contact with a U.S. official in a preliminary discussion about future peace talks on Afghanistan, a senior official with the insurgent group said Saturday. It marked one of the most significant developments amid efforts to find a negotiated end to the country’s protracted war.
The official described as “useful” a meeting with Alice Wells, the U.S.’s top diplomat for South Asia, last week. He said the meeting was held in Qatar, where the Taliban have maintained a political office since 2013.
“The environment was positive and the discussion was useful,” the Taliban official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
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