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Afghanistan

Gridlocked Afghan Peace Talks Overcome Another Hurdle

With procedural rules finally settled, both sides are waiting to see how a change in the U.S. administration could affect talks.

Thursday, December 10, 2020 / By: Scott Worden

Afghan peace negotiations began in mid-September, bringing together the Afghan government and Taliban for the first time to negotiate an end to four decades of war. But, since then, the talks have been mired in squabbles over basic procedures. Last week the sides made a breakthrough and agreed on the rules that will govern future talks, opening the door to the more substantive issue of the agenda for talks—including how and when to talk about a reduction in violence and future political arrangements. Senior U.S. officials praised the agreement and urged the parties to move quickly to a discussion about ways to reduce record-high violence levels.

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