Taliban participates in Oslo peace seminar

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A former Taliban fighter looks on after joining Afghan government forces during a ceremony in Herat province on March 26, 2012. Twelve fighters left the Taliban to join government forces in western Afghanistan. The Taliban, ousted from power by a US-led invasion in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, announced earlier this month that they planned to set up a political office in Qatar ahead of talks with Washington. AFP PHOTO / Aref KARIMI (Photo credit should read Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images)
A former Taliban fighter looks on after joining Afghan government forces during a ceremony in Herat province on March 26, 2012. Twelve fighters left the Taliban to join government forces in western Afghanistan. The Taliban, ousted from power by a US-led invasion in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, announced earlier this month that they planned to set up a political office in Qatar ahead of talks with Washington. AFP PHOTO / Aref KARIMI (Photo credit should read Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images)

Representatives of Taliban and Afghan authorities have recently in secret participated in a seminar for peace mediation in Oslo, public broadcaster NRK reports. These seminars are arranged by the Norwegian Defence College (Forsvarets Høgskole). Participants come from all parts of the world.According to NRK, the Norwegian Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to comment on the story.

– This is an International course. We have made an agreement with all the participants not to comment on their presence here, says spokesperson Veslemøy Lothe Salvesen to NRK.

– Whether or to they just needed to meet in a neutral place, or wanted to learn how to proceed, this is good news, says Afghan expert Kate Clark.

(NRK)

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