Presidential spokesperson Sediq Sediqqi said that the prisoner exchange process is getting affected as the Taliban has failed to release the remaining security forces detainees. Speaking at a conference on Monday, Sediqqi said the prisoner “exchange” process cannot be one-sided and that the Taliban should also release the remaining prisoners and remove the obstacles to the start of the intra-Afghan talks. "Some countries have opposed

First Russia, and now Iran have been linked to bounties paid to the Taliban for targeting American and coalition troops in Afghanistan, reported CNN on Monday. They found that a foreign government had made payments to the Haqqani Network – led by Taliban deputy Sirajuddin Haqqani  - according to a Pentagon briefing document the news organisation reviewed. The name of the foreign

President Ashraf Ghani met with Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov and his delegation on Monday, where they discussed regional security and shared messages ahead of Afghanistan’s Independence Day. Ghani said at the meeting that the “struggle of the Afghan government and people against the Islamic State (IS) and terrorism is an exceptional struggle. Our people have made many sacrifices for the security of

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said that the Taliban should reciprocate the goodwill shown by the the people and government of Afghanistan, and agree for the intra-Afghan peace talks to start. Abdullah met with members of the board of the Peace Advisory Loya Jirga on Monday, and called the Loya Jirga the true will of the Afghan people.