This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
Published on July 6, 2020, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is hosting a series of online conferences with representatives from over 20 countries to build a global consensus for peace talks with the Taliban.
The first meeting is scheduled for later on Monday, with the United States, Russia, and international organizations like the United Nations participating.
Other countries participating in the talks include Pakistan, India, Iran, China, Egypt, and Qatar.
However, just hours before the first online meeting, Ghani's spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, slammed the Taliban for an uptick in violence in recent weeks.
"There is no obstacle on our side for the peace process, but we see that the Taliban are not serious," Sediqqi said.
The Afghan government has released over 4,000 Taliban prisoners as part of a deal with Washington signed in February, which paves the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan by the middle of next year.
Despite this, violence has spiked in recent weeks, with officials blaming the Taliban for killing and wounding hundreds of security personnel and civilians.
The Taliban have denied responsibility for many of the attacks, but acknowledge their fighters were targeting Afghan security forces in rural areas.
