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| Afghanistan |
| Maldives Afghan talks inconclusive |
| 2010-05-23 |
| Rival Afghan figures have concluded their unofficial discussions in the Maldives with a closing statement saying that more talks will be held. The meeting, attended by 13 members of Afghan parliament and a governor who is also an adviser to the Afghan president, was held at the Paradise tourist resort island for two days. "It's a slow process. They've released a closing statement from these talks agreeing to have more meetings and not much more," Dan Nolan, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reported from the Maldives at the end of the talks on Saturday. "The organisers of the meeting said that all 45 delegates will come to the third of these meetings, which is expected to be held by September at the latest." He said there was no confirmation from the delegates that "they will come back". "But if they did, then there is potential for some real progress to be made. If nobody comes back, or if some key people don't come back, then that's quite clear that whatever has been discussed has gone back to their relevant power bases, and that those groups or parties are not willing to continue down this pass any further." Hezbi-e-Islami, Jamaat Islami and Jumbesh Islami were among the Afghan factions whose representatives attended the talks. The Taliban issued a statement saying it had nothing to do with the talks and that those in attendance were no longer part of it. The meeting was organised by Jarir Hekmatyar, the son-in-law of Gulbudin Hekmatyar, an Afghan regional commander and leader of the Hezb-e-Islami party. Gulbudin Hekmatyar is considered to be one of Afghanistan's most wanted men and only sent his son, Feroz, to represent him. Mohammed Nasheed, the Maldivian president, said in a statement the meeting had helped bolster peace interest in the region. "Afghanistan's stability affects the peace and security of our region," Nasheed's press secretary said. "The government of Maldives supports efforts to bring a resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan." The meeting comes before of a grand assembly, or jirga, of Afghan tribal and community leaders, called by President Hamid Karzai scheduled for the end of May. Thousands of people are expected to attend the jirga to discuss the main issues facing the fractious country in the context of Karzai's plans to bring peace and development after more than eight years of war. Karzai's plan calls for the removal of names of certain Taliban leaders from a UN blacklist and possibly giving them asylum in another Islamic country from where they can engage in talks with the Afghan government. |
| Posted by:Steve White |