SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY REGRETS TALIBAN LEADERSHIP DECISION NOT TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS STARTED IN ASHKABAD UNDER UNITED NATIONS AUSPICES
Press Release
SG/SM/6956
SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY REGRETS TALIBAN LEADERSHIP DECISION NOT TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS STARTED IN ASHKABAD UNDER UNITED NATIONS AUSPICES
19990412 The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:The Secretary-General deeply regrets that the Taliban leadership decided, over the weekend, that they would not resume the negotiations which had started in Ashkabad, Turkmenistan, under United Nations auspices.
The Secretary-General is concerned that this development will lead to the intensification of fighting between the Taliban and the United Front, thus inflicting more suffering on the people of Afghanistan and more destruction in an already devastated country.
The United Nations will resume consultations with the two sides, as well as with other Afghans, interested Member States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to explore the scope for agreement on confidence-building measures which might help to contain the current level of fighting, and might hopefully draw the two sides back to peaceful discussion.
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