Karzai to seek removal of Taliban from UN blacklist

Afghanistan's neighbors have met in the Turkish city of Istanbul, to create a coordinated strategy for the region, ahead of the upcoming London conference. The meeting aims to help Afghanistan stand on its own in the medium and long-term.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai in Istanbul said he would  press for Taliban names to be removed from a UN blacklist, as he  sought support in talks with the leaders of Pakistan and Turkey. (AFP/Mustafa Ozer)

The renewed reconciliation plan is aimed at convincing Taliban fighters who are not part of al-Qaeda, to lay down their arms and re-enter Afghan society under the rights and guarantees given by the country's constitution.

Hamid Karzai, Afghan President, said, "And with them we want to have a negotiation and a settlement that comes through the means of politics and economic development and persuasion."

Karzai is expected to give details of a program to reach out to Taliban insurgents as part of a political settlement.

The Afghan President also said he would press for certain Taliban members to be removed from a UN blacklist during the upcoming London conference.

Rebuilding Afghanistan's fledging military was also a priority.

Hamid Karzai, said, "The issues that we face, are the issues we all face which means better training, equipment, barracks, places to stay, and proper education for the armed forces and the time that it should take in all for our forces to begin to function as an institution."

Speaking at the regional summit, Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, said China supports trilateral cooperation between Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Yang said as a neighbor of Afghanistan, China has actively supported, promoted and participated in the country's post-war peace and reconstruction effort. He said China will continue to support the process.