Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has offered to recognize the Taliban movement as a political group in order to involve it in the peace process, Afghanistan’s TOLONews reported.
According to TOLONews, the Afghan president stated that the movement should accept a proposal to be engaged in political talks in order to ensure peace.
Ghani reportedly said he would recognize the Taliban as a political group and would initiate talks if they agreed to a cease-fire.
Ghani stated this at a peace conference that took place in Kabul on February 28.
The Kabul Process conference brought together representatives of around 25 countries and three international organizations to discuss the issues of peace and security in Afghanistan.
The Afghan president also suggested a constitutional review as a confidence-building measure for both sides. Ghani said he would help release Taliban prisoners, remove international sanctions on the group and assist them with passports and visas.
The Afghan president also announced the Afghan government would provide passports to Taliban members and their families and would issue visas, open an office for them – even in Kabul – and would also work to remove sanctions against Taliban leaders.
