KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban opposition figures and activists have come together in Vienna for a two-day conference aimed at discussing Afghanistan’s current challenges and exploring potential pathways to lasting peace.
The event, organized by the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, is attended by more than 90 leaders and activists, including Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), and Yasin Zia, head of the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), armed anti-Taliban groups.
This marks the fifth session of the “Vienna Process for a Democratic Afghanistan,” a series of talks held in Vienna in recent years. The last conference, held in June 2024, emphasized the need to establish a legitimate, democratic government reflecting the will of the people of Afghanistan.
Ali Maisam Nazary, NRF’s head of Foreign Relations, described this session as the largest gathering on Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of the county in August 2021. “The discussions will focus on implementing the roadmap adopted last year, addressing Afghanistan’s dire situation, and exploring potential ways to fill the power vacuum and establish lasting peace,” Nazary said in a post on X.
He added, “We hope this round will foster greater consensus, unity, and a clear path toward a democratic and peaceful Afghanistan.”
Previous Vienna Process sessions have stressed the importance of unity among anti-Taliban forces, recognizing it as crucial for Afghanistan’s stability and democratic future.
