Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pushed on Monday for a global consensus on peace talks with the Taliban, even as his spokesman slammed the militants for a spike in violence.
Mr. Ghani is hosting three online conferences with representatives of some 20 countries this week. They aim to “build a consensus” for the peace talks at regional and international level, said Gran Hewad, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.
Countries participating include U.S., Russia Pakistan, India, Iran, China, Egypt and Qatar, officials said. But just hours ahead of the first online meeting, Mr. Ghani’s spokesman slammed the Taliban for an uptick in violence in recent weeks. “There is no obstacle on our side for the peace process, but we see that the Taliban are not serious,” Sediq Sediqqi told reporters.
