Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the combat mission in Afghanistan, and the UK's continued presence as part of NATO’s non-combat mission, what role they have in the Afghan peace talks, which began in Doha on 12 September.

The UK strongly supports the beginning of negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban, currently taking place in Doha. I attended the virtual opening ceremony for the Afghan Peace Negotiations on 12 September and delivered remarks behalf of the UK. We hope this historic opportunity leads to progress, including an inclusive political settlement and an end to the violence in Afghanistan.

We are actively supporting the negotiations through diplomatic engagement in Doha, as well as in the region. Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the UK's Afghanistan Peace and Reconciliation Programme provides capacity building support to the Afghan Government, in partnership with the European Institute of Peace and the UN Development Programme.