The first meeting of the series of consultative meetings of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was held with the representatives of civil society organizations

The first consultative meeting of the Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with various strata was held online by the State Ministry for Peace. The meeting was attended by Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, the State Minister for Peace and member of the negotiating team, other members of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan including Mawlawi Atauddin Ludin, Abdul Matin Bek, Fatima Gailani, Ghulam Farooq Majrooh, and Mohammad Nateqi, officials of the State Ministry for Peace and representatives of civil society organizations.

Introducing the meeting, Dr. Alema, Deputy Minister of Human Rights and Civil Society Organization in the State Ministry for Peace said:
The series of consultative meetings of the Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is planned to be held with 20 different strata. As civil society organizations play an essential role in building lasting and dignified peace, the first meeting of this series of meetings of the Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has been held with these organizations.
Abdul Khaliq Balakarzai, Deputy Minister for Coordination of Tribes and Institutions of the State Ministry for Peace also said that under the direction of President Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, and at the request of the Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, consultative sessions with various sections of society, especially those emphasized in the Peace Consultative Loya Jirga, will be held.
He also called the State Ministry for Peace a center for connecting people with the negotiating team.
Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, the State Minister for Peace and Member of the Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, said that the purpose of holding these meetings was to provide information to the people about the peace negotiation process, establish direct communication between the people and the negotiating team, and the inclusion of different strata in the peace process.
Afterwards, Mohammad Nateqi, a member of the negotiating team, provided information on the course of the negotiations from the official start of the process until now.
Abdul Matin Bek also considered civil society organizations as one of the basic pillars of the republican system and said that the opportunity created for peace should be used in cooperation with different strata.
Emphasizing the importance of the role of civil society organizations in the peace process and the changes that have taken place in recent years, Fatima Gailani said that in the meeting which was held by the Assistant Foreign Minister of Qatar we talked about the current realities of Afghanistan and we talked about the contacts of civil society organizations with remote parts of Afghanistan. She also said that there is a need for a permanent link between the negotiating team and members of civil society organizations.
Mawlawi Ataullah Ludin said that the negotiating team patiently represented the demands of the people and their will in Doha. He stressed that the negotiating team has made the demands raised in the Loya Jirga as the basis for negotiations.
Representatives of civil society organizations then presented their views and questions to the negotiating team. They called for a clear two-way information mechanism between civil society organizations and the negotiating team to share their comments as well as to obtain information. Questions were also raised by members of civil society organizations, to which members of the negotiating team responded.
Gholam Farooq Majrooh said that consultative meetings will be held on a regular basis in order to get the opinions of different sections of the society.
He also said in response to a question that international supporters would continue their support for the preservation of the republic, as they had declared their support for the republic and the stable system at the opening of the peace negotiations.
He stressed that there is a common vision among the members of the negotiating team and that their national position has been strengthened as well.
Mawlawi Ataullah Ludin also said that the values of the people and the government of Afghanistan are important for the negotiating team and assured that the members of the delegation will not go beyond these values.
Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, the State Minister for Peace and a member of the negotiating team, expressed his gratitude to all participants in the meeting and said: "Since civil society organizations are the largest pillar of the republic, the first meeting was held with the participation of members of civil society organizations." He also said that the international community's view of the republic is one, and that there is full unity and consensus among the members of the negotiating team.
Mr. Naderi also stated that there is a spirit of peace but between the two sides, albeit the different views.
It is noteworthy that the series of consultative meetings of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is held with different strata in order to, strengthen the participation and inclusion of different segments of society in the peace process, increase transparency in the negotiation process, inform different strata from the negotiation process and creating a consensus on the narrative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.