The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, has offered to recognise the Taliban as a legitimate political group as part of a process that he said could lead to talks to end more than 16 years of war. The offer, made on Wednesday at the start of an international conference aimed at creating a platform for peace discussions, is the latest signal from the Western-backed government and the Taliban of greater willingness to consider dialogue.
Ghani proposed a ceasefire and the release of prisoners as part of a range of options including elections, involving the militant group in the political process, and a constitutional review under a pact with the Taliban.
“We are making this offer without preconditions in order to lead to a peace agreement,” he said in opening remarks to the conference attended by officials from about 25 countries involved in the so-called Kabul process. “The Taliban are expected to give input to the peacemaking process, the goal of which is to draw the Taliban, as an organisation, to peace talks.”