No government official was invited to the roundtable, which saw heavyweight Afghan politicians and other sworn enemies of the Taliban praying and dining with the militants. "This meeting was very successful," the black-turbaned Taliban official told reporters, flanked by the former president who was appointed after US-led forces routed the Taliban in 2001. All parties agreed to support the Doha peace talks with American negotiators that President Donald Trump described on Tuesday as "constructive." The Afghan president - who has vented frustration as his friends and enemies have negotiated the future of his country - describing the Moscow talks as "nothing more than fantasy." The Moscow conference was the Taliban's most significant engagement with Afghan leaders in years.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 07, 2019 15:33 UTC