Taliban Negotiators Meet With Afghan Politicians In Moscow

Representatives from the Taliban and Afghan politicians have arrived in Moscow for talks, reports the New York Times. 

On Tuesday, delegations from both sides arrived at a Kremlin-owned hotel and held a series of small meetings before moving to general discussions. 

Moscow denied organizing the meeting, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 

The Afghan delegation included former President Hamid Karzai and 38 former officials, representatives of political parties and members of Parliament. Sher Mohammed Abas Stanekzai, until recently the top Taliban negotiator in Qatar, headed the militant group's delegation.

A spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani stressed that the talks had no official weight. The delegation does not include any current members of the Afghan government. 

The talks aim to capitalize on progress in talks between the U.S. and the Taliban in Qatar, which succeeded in establishing a mutually-agreeable framework for a truce. In those talks, the Taliban agreed to key U.S. demands, including not allowing militant groups to launch attacks from its territory and an American pledge to withdraw its forces. 

The Taliban has refused to meet with the administration of President Ashraf Ghani, complicating efforts to negotiate the future of the Afghan government. 

Kabul has been critical of talks that bypass the government, arguing that they undermine its authority. 

There are also concerns that the U.S. is too eager to reach an agreement, since the Taliban has not indicated its views on major issues such as the rights of women.