The U.S Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai to defuse tensions after the Afghan government boycotted the U.S peace talks with the Taliban.

 

　　One of the reasons for the discontent was a sign at Taliban's new office in Qatar, reading "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".

 

　　It's being reported that Kerry has assured Karzai of the sign being taken down now, but the Afghan government is also against the Taliban flag flying over the building.

 

　　And the head of the Afghan Foreign Relation Office, Mohammed Ismail Qasimyar, says they don't want the Taliban office to become a political front.

 

　　"The senior American officials have assured us in a written letter in the past that the legal suggestion of the Afghan High Peace Council will be respected and will be guaranteed by the opening of Taliban's office in Qatar. For instance this office cannot be like an embassy. This office cannot be used as a political settlement to build up relation with the United Nations or any other countries, but now we see this office is against all those agreements."

 

　　Hamid Karzai says his government won't be a part of the peace talks until the process is totally under Afghan control.

 

　　For more on this, CRI's Paul James talked with Professor Qian Liwei, Research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.