Taliban, Afghanistan government meet in Doha as peace talks begin

Taliban negotiator Abbas Stanikzai, fifth right, with his delegation attend the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. Credit: AP/PTI

Negotiators from the Taliban and the Afghan government team have met face-to-face on Saturday, shortly after peace talks were inaugurated in Doha, a Qatari official said.

Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister of Qatar, told reporters the two sides had sat down to discuss how the talks will proceed.

The Taliban had previously refused to negotiate with the government, questioning its legitimacy. The talks are a result of a US-Taliban agreement in February.