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Kabul is not against dividing powers with Taliban - Afghan reconciliation council head

Earlier, the US offered Kabul and the Taliban a new plan on settlement in the country, which stipulates setting up an interim government with the Taliban’s participation

MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. Kabul is not against the US proposal on dividing powers with the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia), but its details should be discussed at talks, Head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) Abdullah Abdullah said in an interview with TASS.

"As for the mere idea of dividing powers before holding the election, we told the Americans that we could discuss this with the Taliban," Abdullah said.

According to Abdullah, the US proposal includes a range of challenging moments.

"We responded the proposals, but not in writing, we had a meeting of the High Council for National Reconciliation and there we decided that we are not against dividing powers. We shared our assessments on all these issues such as how to preserve Afghanistan’s constitution, strengthen institutions and prevent the system’s collapse," he stated.

Abdullah noted that the US had suggested a particular settlement plan and a number of ideas to be discussed by both sides. "If agreed, both sides could rely on these ideas. But the mere principle is to fast-track peace process," he explained.

The US plan’s advantages are the points on ceasefire, holding the elections, human rights and the rights of women, and pluralism of society. "We gave an answer on what we consider as weak and strong sides of these proposals. The Taliban has not yet responded these proposals," he said.

Earlier, the US offered Kabul and the Taliban a new plan of the Washington administration on settlement in the country, which stipulates setting up an interim government with the Taliban’s participation. On Friday, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, told TASS the Taliban had not rejected the US-proposed plan and was considering it.