ISLAMABAD -- The Taliban held another round of talks with U.S. officials on Monday in the latest attempt to bring a negotiated end to Afghanistan's 17-year war.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid offered few details of the daylong meeting in the United Arab Emirates that also involved Saudi, Pakistani and Emirati representatives.
He said only that "discussions were held with the American side over the end to the invasion of Afghanistan."
He dismissed Afghan media reports that government representatives, who are in the United Arab Emirates, had met with the Taliban.
"There is no plan to meet the Kabul administration," Mujahid said.
"There is no possibility of the presence of the Kabul administration in the meeting, which the Islamic Emirate will attend." The Taliban refer to their movement as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and they dismiss the Kabul government as a U.S. puppet.
Mujahid said the meetings were continuing.
Khalil Minawi, director of Afghanistan's state-run Bakhtar news agency, earlier tweeted that officials from the United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UAE held meetings Sunday ahead of "the Pakistani-sponsored U.S.-Taliban meeting."
Although Afghan officials did not attend Monday's meeting with the Taliban, their presence in the UAE was seen as a significant step in efforts to get the two sides talking.
The Taliban have consistently refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government, insisting they will only negotiate with the U.S.
Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib was among the Afghan government representatives in the UAE, a senior Afghan government official said.
The presence of such a high-ranking individual was seen as a sign of progress.
Also significant is the presence of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both of which have significant influence over the Taliban and might be able to help secure concessions eventually leading to face-to-face talks with the Afghan government.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan were the only three countries to recognize the Taliban government during its five-year rule, which ended with the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.
The U.S. has considerable sway over the Afghan government, which it heavily bankrolls.
The U.S. has spent $1 trillion in Afghanistan since ousting the Taliban, and the war there has become America's longest.
While the State Department has neither denied nor confirmed previous meetings with the Taliban, U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad says he has met with all sides in the conflict.
The Taliban control nearly half of Afghanistan and carry out daily attacks, mainly targeting security forces and government officials.
Information for this article was contributed by Amir Shah of The Associated Press.
A Section on 12/18/2018