Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Sibghatullah Ahmadi expressed on Twitter that the government is not pleased with Uzbekistan receiving Taliban delegation, “for facilitating any peace talks”.

He said that it is true that Afghanistan has always welcomed international and regional cooperation, particularly that of the neighboring countries’ in the Peace Process of Afghanistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan too, as a friendly and neighboring country had expressed its readiness in this regard.

”However, the formal reception of the Taliban representatives and the dynamics of the talks, do not demonstrate as facilitating peace talks between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Taliban representatives, by the Republic of Uzbekistan”, Ahmdadi expressed.

He also called upon all countries, particularly Afghanistan’s neighbors, to respect the leadership and ownership of the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the Peace Process, as the Government “is the lawful representative” of the people of Afghanistan.

A Taliban delegation led by the co-founder of the group Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan earlier this week, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said.
According to him, during the trip, the Taliban negotiators will discuss the Afghan peace process with the Uzbek officials.

The trip is said to have been taking place to pave the way for an intra-Afghan negotiation. Last August, a Taliban delegation led by Abbas Stanekzai visited Uzbekistan and discussed the peace process with Uzbek diplomats.