Taliban negotiator discusses Afghan peace deal with Russia

Taliban said that one of their top negotiator met Russian officials in Moscow and discussed Afghan peace process. This development came just a week after Biden administration said would review Washington's deal with the insurgents. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, deputy head of Taliban negotiating team met Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulo and other foreign ministry officials in Moscow.

"The ongoing situation of the intra-Afghan negotiations and subjects concerning the full implementation of the Doha agreement were discussed during the meeting," Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem said on Twitter, referring to the US-Taliban deal signed in the Qatari capital in February 2020.

Taliban representatives had visited Russia several times before striking February 2020 peace deal with the USA.

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The deal paved the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan by May this year -- in return for the insurgents offering some security guarantees and agreeing to hold peace talks with Afghan government.
The peace talks began on September 12 but violence has surged in Afghanistan.

High-profile assassinations have increased in recent months, particularly in Kabul, where several journalists, activists, judges and politicians have been murdered in brazen daylight attacks.

Officials blame the Taliban for the killings, though the group has steadfastly denied any involvement.

During the talks in Moscow on Thursday, the Russian side "spoke in favour of the early launch of meaningful and constructive inter-Afghan negotiations, leading to an end to the bloody civil war," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Despite months of discussions, the peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government in Doha have largely stalled, according to Kabul's negotiating team.

(With AFP inputs)