Taliban and Afghan officials deny reports of reaching an agreement to advance peace talks

The spokesman of the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Dr. Mohammad Naeem on Tuesday denied media reports of agreement between the Taliban and Afghan peace negotiator.

UK-based news agency Reuters, citing its sources reported that an agreement has been reached between the Taliban and Afghan peace negotiators on a code of conduct to safeguard against the risk of any breakdown in talks that began last month in Qatar to bring an end to decades of war.

The agency stated in its report that the breakthrough was achieved with the help of U.S. officials, as the two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks.

However, the spokesman via his twitter handle denied the report saying: “The news shared on the media saying that the intra-Afghan negotiating teams have reached an agreement on the modalities holds no solid ground.”

Another tweet published via Twitter handle ‘Peace Negotiation Team of the I.R. of Afghanistan’ also denied Reuters report stating it ‘incorrect’.

“The news published by Reuters regarding the completion of code of conduct for peace talks’ sessions is incorrect.”

The news agency reported that, Under the deal, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter terrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which agreed to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government.

Diplomats had told Reuters that the talks had got off to a difficult start, with disagreements over how the Hanafi Islamic code could be used to guide negotiations and on whether the deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February should be the basis for the talks, as demanded by the Taliban.

The three sources said the delegations were putting those differences to one side to move forward and agree on an agenda, but would work on resolving these issues during negotiations. “The ground rules will serve as a foundation as both sides are making an effort to prevent a collapse,” said a second senior official in Doha overseeing the talks.

A ceasefire is a top priority for the Afghan officials and the western diplomats who are facilitating these talks.