Afghan government, Taliban agree to accelerate peace talks after Moscow summit

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, left, and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, second right, attend an international conference on Afghanistan over the peaceful solution to the conflict in Moscow on March 18, 2021. (AFP)

• Calls on Afghanistan’s warring sides to reach an immediate cease-fire

MOSCOW: The Afghan government and the Taliban have agreed to accelerate peace talks after Russia hosted an international conference aimed at reviving a stalled peace process, the RIA news agency reported on Friday, citing a senior Afghan official.
The move comes after Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan called on Afghanistan’s warring sides to reach an immediate cease-fire.