A TOP Afghan official appointed to lead much-awaited peace talks with the Taliban today said his team is ready to start “at any moment” with the insurgents.

Abdullah Abdullah, who heads a council to represent the government in negotiations, said an ongoing lull in violence triggered by a surprise ceasefire offered by the militants set the tone for launching the talks.

“The announcement of the ceasefire, a reduction in violence and the exchange of prisoners have all paved the way for a good beginning,” he told his first press conference since taking on the role.

“The negotiating team is ready to begin the talks at any moment.”

However, he added, there must be a fresh ceasefire during the discussions.

The Taliban offered a rare three-day ceasefire that ended on Tuesday night to mark the Aidilfitri festival.

Officials have blamed the group for carrying out some deadly attacks against security forces since the ceasefire ended, but also acknowledged that the temporary truce has led to an overall fall in violence across much of the country.

The government responded to the ceasefire by accelerating the release of hundreds of Taliban prisoners.

The peace talks between the government and Taliban had been scheduled to begin before March 10.

The US has pushed the two sides to begin negotiating with an aim to end the nearly two-decade war in the impoverished country.

Washington has signed a separate deal with the Taliban, which stipulates that all foreign forces will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by next May.

Abdullah was appointed to lead the peace talks after he ended his bitter political feud with the president earlier this month.

Abdullah had announced himself as a rival president after he rejected the result of last September’s election, which was won by incumbent Ashraf Ghani. – AFP, May 30, 2020.