‘Right moment’ for peace in Afghanistan, President Ghani says, invites Taliban to talks

Now is the “right moment” for peace in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday, as he once more called on the Taliban to negotiate with his government.

The Taliban have steadfastly refused to discuss peace with Ghani.

The US and the Taliban have claimed to have made significant progress during a recent summit in Doha, Qatar. Some members of Ghani’s inner circle attended overlapping talks in the Qatari capital with the Taliban, though only in a “personal capacity.”

“In the past 18 years the time was not right for peace, for a realistic peace. Today is the right moment,” Ghani said at an EU anti-corruption conference being held in Kabul, according to AFP. “If we lose this opportunity then the responsibility [for the loss] is big.”