Taliban to participate in Paris conference

The Taliban on Tuesday announced they would participate in a conference on Afghanistan’s future to be hosted by France later this month.
A spokesman for the movement said two representatives of the Taliban would participate in the conference, scheduled for Dec 17 in Paris.
Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement the gathering was similar to the Kyoto conference in Japan. The Taliban representatives would discuss the situation in Afghanistan and spell out their stance on the issue.
However, Mujahid explained the representatives would not hold talks with any group. He vehemently denied recent media reports regarding secret negotiations on the sidelines of the conference.
Dr. Ghairat Baheer, a key leader of the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), has said three members of the party would attend the gathering. Representatives of the Afghan government and civil society will also attend the Paris conference.