Afghanistan to press Pakistan for access to Taliban
By REUTERS
KABUL - Afghanistan will press Pakistan for access to Taliban leaders during a one-day visit to Kabul by Pakistan's foreign minister, with Afghan officials hoping to ease cross-border strains and lay the ground for peace negotiations with the insurgents.Hina Rabbani Khar will visit Kabul on February 1 to discuss reconciliation and nascent plans for peace talks ahead of a meeting between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban in Saudi Arabia in coming weeks.Khar's trip will mark the first high-level meetings between officials from the countries in months.Pakistan is seen as critical to US efforts to stabilize Afghanistan before foreign combat troops leave in 2014."We hope it will mark a new phase in the relationship between both countries," Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai said on Monday.
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