Afghanistan’s chief peace negotiator Dr. Abdullha Abdullah said the debate over the venue of the next round of the intra-Afghan negotiation must not delay the peace talks, TOLOnews reported.  Dr. Abdullah Abdullah also said the next venue will be decided in coordination with the negotiators from both sides. Abdullah’s comment came on Wednesday during a meeting with negotiations of the Republic team. 

Meanwhile the Taliban’s spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Naeem  rejected the whole debate around the change of the venue, calling it an act of “spoilers of the peace process.” He said the people who are raising such demands see “their power and personal interest in danger.”

Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor Hamidullah Mohib on Saturday first proposed the idea of holding the next round of the intra-Afghan talks in the country. And days after that the idea was quickly got the backing of Afghan President Ghani. 

Both sides, the Taliban and Afghanistan republic, are expected to resume the negotiation on 5 January next year. The 23 days break in the talks came to consult their respective higher leadership on broader issues that would come up in the next round of talks. 

US special representative to Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said the talk must start on January 5 without any delay. He also said the need for the reduction of violence and a permanent ceasefire is “urgent.”