Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta admitted on Thursday that there are peace talks with Taliban in Saudi Arabia but emphasized that no official is representing the government in the talks.
Spanta, in a regular press conference in Afghan capital Kabul, described the talks as "informal", saying former Foreign Minister of Taliban's ousted regime Mawlawi Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil and its ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, President Hamid Karzai's brother and some religious leaders from Afghanistan attended the informal meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Nevertheless, Spanta stressed that "any one wants to talk must accept the national constitution."
"We talk to Taliban but there are some boundaries must not be violated," he said, "these are human rights, women equity with men and freedom of press which have been envisaged and guaranteed in the national constitution."
Moreover, the Afghan Foreign Minister maintained that war is not the solution adding "we should talk to the armed and unarmed oppositions."
Nevertheless, President Karzai's chief spokesman Hamayon Hamidzada earlier rejected any official talks with Taliban outfit but added "the door for negotiation is open for anyone who wants to lay down arms and accept the constitution of the country. "
Taliban militants have agreed to hold talks with President Karzai's administration on conditions that all foreign troops must be withdrew and the constitution must be modified.
The Taliban regime, ousted from power in late 2001, had confined women in their houses during its six-year regime and outlawed all press freedom as well as human rights and democratic norms.
Source:Xinhua
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