Yesterday, the Afghani government and Taliban delegation held the first closed direct negotiations session in the Qatari capital, Doha, at a time when the Security Council welcomed the move and called on the parties to take measures to build confidence and curb violence.
Each team listened to the words of the other team, amid recommendations from the leaders of the various parties to be patient.
A source close to the negotiations told Al-Jazeera, "The Afghan leaders agreed to continue the meetings and solve the problems facing them through negotiation and dialogue."
"The negotiators have agreed on the rules and procedures, without specifying what they are, but some issues are still pending. It is unclear whether the parties have agreed on an agenda on the issues that should be addressed or Rearranged. "
"The movement is committed to respecting the principle of understanding in solving the country's problems," said Taliban delegation head Maulvi Abdul Hakim.
He stressed that Afghanistan is bound by the agreement reached with the United States, and Washington and its allies must also fulfill their obligations.
UN welcome
In a related context, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a decision to renew the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan "UNAMA" for a year, until September 17, 2021.
The resolution stipulated a number of tasks of the UN mission, including providing support for organizing future Afghan elections, coordinating international community support for development and governance priorities, strengthening regional cooperation, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The decision - prepared by Germany and Indonesia - welcomed the start of direct talks between the Afghan parties in the Qatari capital, and calls for measures to build confidence, including reducing violence.
The negotiations between the two opposing parties began 6 months after the scheduled date, due to disagreements over a controversial prisoner exchange deal that was agreed upon last February.
It may take years to reach a comprehensive peace agreement, and that will depend on the willingness of both sides to find a common approach to the way of governing their country.
On February 29, Doha witnessed the signing of an agreement between Washington and the Taliban that paves the way, according to a timetable, for a gradual US withdrawal from Afghanistan and an exchange of prisoners.
Afghanistan has been suffering a war since October 2001, when an international military coalition led by Washington overthrew the Taliban rule, due to its association at the time with Al Qaeda, which adopted the attacks of September 11 of the same year in the United States.