The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says “major progress” has been achieved in the ongoing talks between the US and Taliban negotiators in Doha, Qatar, and that a potential agreement between the two sides will lead to intra-Afghan negotiations. 

The Afghan government is fully prepared for direct talks with the Taliban, a spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sibghatullah Ahmadi, told TOLOnews on Monday. 

“There are reports of comprehensive progress in these talks and we hope to reach peace after intra-Afghan negotiations,” Mr. Ahmadi said.

One member of the Taliban’s negotiating team, Shahabuddin Dilawar, said talks on a ceasefire will be part of the agenda in intra-Afghan talks.

“Ceasefire will be an important topic in [future] intra-Afghan negotiations… After that, hopefully, there will be a ceasefire and the war will end in Afghanistan,” he said.

Despite speculations that the Taliban has split into several factions, but Agha Jan Mutasim, a former member of the Taliban, said the group is united and that there is no disintegration in it. 

“The Taliban remains a unified group. Son of Mullah Mohammad Omar [Taliban’s founding leader who died in 2013] serves as the deputy of Mullah Hibatullah [the incumbent leader of the group] and they are undertaking their work in consultation with Mullah Hibatullah,” Mr. Mutasim said.

“We should not sacrifice peace for elections and instead sacrifice elections for peace,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander. 

Taliban negotiating team in Qatar has said that the agreement with the US will be signed in front of international media and international guarantors. 

The intra-Afghan talks apparently will be held in one of the European capitals.