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No time frame for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, says Taliban delegation head

Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai stressed that there were plans to establish two task forces on the issue

MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. No time frame has been set for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, said Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the head of a delegation of the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia), which is taking part in an intra-Afghan conference in Moscow.

"I cannot announce any specific dates. No decision has been made yet, no withdrawal schedule has not been agreed. It requires additional meetings and discussions," he told reporters.

Stanikzai pointed out there were plans to establish two task forces on the issue. "Two technical groups will thoroughly discuss the issue," he said, adding that the agreement was "a huge success."

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"We hope to make big progress in this regard and expect foreign troops to leave the country so that Afghanistan is free from foreign military presence," Stanikzai added.

According to the delegation head, once troops leave, the Taliban will be ready to discuss all domestic issues, including government formation and constitutional matters, with the country’s authorities.

The intra-Afghan conference, arranged by the Afghan community in Russia, is taking place in Moscow on February 5-6. The meeting’s participants are discussing the situation in Afghanistan and ways to peacefully resolve the years-long conflict.

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