Thread by @jseldin

NEW: "We are much closer to the start of a peace negotiations than we have ever been before"
#Afghanistan acting Minister of Foreign Affairs @MHaneefAtmar tells @USIP "We are optimistic"

re talks w/#Taliban #AfghanPeace

"The last hurdles in terms of release of prisoners & a couple of difficult questions that we had are being addressed successfully" adds #Afghanistan acting Minister of Foreign Affairs @MHaneefAtmar

.@MHaneefAtmar's bottom line for peace deal:

"[#Afghanistan] will have to remain an independent, sovereign, unified state w/its full territorial integrity...It will have to be a constitutional, representative democracy on the strong foundation of human rights, women's rights"

"We understand that the #Taliban demand for the departure of foreign troops" per #Afghan acting FM @MHaneefAtmar

"We certainly demand the elimination or departure of all #foreignfighters, terrorist fighters" he says re #alQaida, #ISIS

#Afghanistan's existing ties/agreements with @NATO, must also be respected, per @MHaneefAtmar

With talks btw #Afghanistan gvt & #Taliban -"It seems that most of the hurdles have been wither removed or we are working on building consensus toward a solution" @MHaneefAtmar tells @USIP #AfghanPeace

"I'm cautiously optimistic"

"With the release of the last batch of the #Taliban prisoners, we will have released by the end of next week over 5,600 of #Taliban's prisoners" per @MHaneefAtmar "The Taliban will have to honor their promise that these ppl will not go back to the battlefield"

"We want a reduction in violence...an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" per @MHaneefAtmar, adding these are things to be negotiated

#Afghanistan gvt, #Taliban agree negotiations should be held in countries that have supported the process

"They need to be part of the process" per @MHaneefAtmar, emphasizing the talks will be between Afghans

"There is still a risk that some regional actors...certain circles would want to pursue not an end state that that Afghan people demand" per @MHaneefAtmar

"They might try to define the end state in terms of their narrow political, national security interests...a serious danger"

"We are working very closely w/#China" per #Afghanistan acting FM @MHaneefAtmar, noting cooperation also w/US, @NATO

"We are, together, facing a common threat so therefore we have a common interest...China is directly affected by terrorism in the region"

NEW: "We have been assured that the agreement btw the #Taliban & the United States is about a conditions based drawdown of troops" per acting FM @MHaneefAtmar tells @USIP #AfghanPeace "We are confident that those conditions will be informing the decisions made by our partners"

"It has always been part of the end state that Afghanistan as an independent country will be responsible for its own security" per acting FM @MHaneefAtmar

"However, when it comes to the global & int'l nature of terrorism & the threats that we face, cooperation w/the UnitedStates, our NATO partner & our regional partners has been a key feature of our foreign policy" per acting FM @MHaneefAtmar

.@UN recently noted the issue of #foreignfighters, warning in June the estimated 8,000-10,000 such fighters in #Afghanistan "will require careful monitoring"