Turkey may take part in Afghan solution: Russian envoy

By Dmitri Chirciu

MOSCOW

Turkey may be involved in the solution to the Afghanistan problem, a Russian diplomat said Friday.

“We will be pleased if [Turkey] attends the next meeting in Moscow” on Afghan peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said in a statement.

Kabulov made the remarks after meeting separately in Ankara with U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Riza Hakan Tekin, head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s Asia Department.

“The U.S. has proposed establishing grounds for reconciliation in Afghanistan, and Russia is ready to consider this offer,” Kabulov said.

He said Russia is also ready to cooperate with the U.S. in the fight against al-Qaeda and Daesh.

The U.S. is leading a round of talks with the Taliban and regional stakeholders aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan.

While the Taliban have held talks with Afghan politicians and U.S. officials, they refuse to recognize or negotiate with the Kabul government -- a rough patch that all sides are trying to resolve.

Kabul maintains that any peace plan should be Afghan-owned and Afghan-led.

The raging Afghan conflict is in its 18th year, with thousands of lives lost and millions forced to flee their homes.