Earlier this month, Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview with Newsweek magazine that the militants did not represent a threat to US interests unless they continued to shelter Al-Qaeda.

Biden’s comments came amid reports that the Obama administration and other governments are trying to establish a peace process with the Taleban to help end the 10-year war.

“I am very happy that the American government has announced that the Taleban are not their enemies,” Karzai said in a speech to the Afghan Academy of Sciences. “We hope that this message will help the Afghans reach peace and stability.”

A senior US official has told The Associated Press that Washington plans to continue a series of secret meetings with Taleban representatives in Europe and the Persian Gulf region next year.

The US outreach this year had progressed to the point that there was active discussion of two steps the Taleban seeks as precursors to negotiations, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Trust-building measures under discussion involve setting up a Taleban headquarters office and the release from the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, of about five Afghan prisoners believed affiliated with the Taleban.

On Tuesday, Karzai said his government would accept the Taleban establishing a liaison office in Turkey, Qatar or Saudi Arabia for the purpose of holding peace talks.