Expect productive peace talks with Afghan govt in Doha, say Taliban

The Taliban are counting on productive peace talks with the Afghan government in Qatar though the sides are still discussing the exact topics of negotiations, the official spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, Mohammad Naim, told Sputnik on Thursday.

"Before we reached an agreement with the United States, the negotiations had been ongoing for about one year and a half, so we now also expect to reach an agreement in peace talks with Kabul," Naim said.

He also noted that the negotiating sides have so far not reached an agreement that would allow them to discuss a prospective ceasefire.

"We are currently discussing topics to put on the agenda; which issues we should talk about. Agreeing on an agenda is already part of the progress," he said.

The intra-Afghan peace negotiations were launched in Qatar's Doha back in September. Both sides have announced that they agreed on the framework of the talks, allowing for discussions on substantive issues to kick off. At the same time, clashes between the government forces and the Taliban opposition movement, as well as bomb explosions, continue to ravage the country. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )