US wants Afghanistan’s neighbours to not recognise imposed govt in Kabul

The United States wants Afghanistan’s neighbours not to recognise any government in Kabul that has been imposed by force. The demand — made at a Tuesday afternoon news briefing at the US State Department — preceded a meeting of the Troika Plus nations in Doha on Wednesday. The group, which includes the US, Russia, China and Pakistan, is aimed at finding a political solution to the decades-old war in Afghanistan. During the news briefing, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that two key meetings were being held in Doha this week, bringing together representatives from the region and beyond and from multilateral organisations.

The participants will press for a reduction in violence, a ceasefire and a “commitment by the part of these regional and broader governments and multilateral and international institutions not to recognise any government that is imposed by force,” Price said. The meetings in the Qatari capital come as the Taliban have stepped up their campaign to defeat the government as foreign forces withdraw.On Wednesday, the Taliban seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan, putting nine of the nation’s 34 in the insurgents’ hands.

US Special envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is representing Washington in the talks in Doha. Pakistan has sent its special envoy Muhammad Sadiq and its ambassador to Kabul, Mansoor Khan. Kremlin’s envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov and the newly appointed Chinese envoy for Afghanistan Yue Xiao Yong are representing their countries. Source:.. dawn.com